How to choose your Japanese tattoo

Traditionally, in Japan, tattoos are classified by families or clans. Each family of tattoo artists has a certain style that is defined by the family’s traditions. Everything from the choice of the design, the association of themes, the color pallets to the execution of the design, all is thought from a master to his apprentice. It’s therefore possible to recognize a family by their tattoos.

How do Japanese people choose their tattoos?

There are two ways:

– If the individual is part of a group (like a Yakuza), the members of the group will guide them to the tattooist(s) of the clan. After meeting the tattoo master, it is he who will decide on the design that fits the individual by taking into account his personality, his ambitions, his position in the clan and his tastes. Rarely the client will have something to say about the design. He trusts his clan and the tattoo master; therefore, he lets him decide.

– If the individual isn’t part of a group, it’s similar to getting tattooed anywhere else in the world: they just book an appointment to meet with the artist of his choosing and together they decide on the subject and design. The only difference is that Japanese people tend to give more liberty to the artist, knowing that it will look better in the end because the artist doesn’t feel castrated.

In both cases, the subject will be either mythological animals, past heroes, heroic stories and/or gods, whereas the theme of the tattoo will usually express their strength, their courage or to receive protection.

When I think about Japanese tattoos, I only think about dragons. Is there more than dragons?

Yes, there is much more than dragons, and that’s why I created this blog! For most people, Japanese tattoos usually rime with dragons, koi fish and samurais, but there is much more! There are so many mythological animals, heroes and stories that can be tattooed!

The most popular subjects for Japanese people are epic tales (and heroes), Noh masks and mythological animals. Contrarily to occidental mentality, tattoos don’t represent the wearers story. They are used to protect the wearer. They are mostly used to represent the soul or a past valorous reincarnation of the wearer.

I really love Japanese style tattoos, but I don’t know the stories and the symbolism. How do I choose my tattoo?

The first step is to find out what do you want your tattoo to mean. Once again, traditionally, Japanese tattoo don’t tell the story of the wearer. They will associate their tattoo to a strong emotion like strength, courage, protection, wisdom, perseverance, etc. Keep in mind that love and the love for your children aren’t emotions that Japanese tattoos usually represent.

But I really want the tattoo to tell my story. How do I choose my tattoo?

Depending on what you are trying to say, there are multiple options:

– I want my tattoo to talk about my family and my kids.

We can look at different elements accordingly to their birthday: what’s their zodiac sign? What’s their birth flower? In Japan, each month and each season is associated to a flower, a plant and even an activity (for example, flying a kite is associated with Spring). Also, we can look at the Buddhist calendar to see which deity protects your family members.

Check out www.onmarkproductions.com for the best references of buddhist statues.


– I want my tattoo to represent my ambition and courage.

There are a lot of stories in Japanese mythology that are great examples of courage, strength, honor and ambition. For example, there are the courageous warriors Benkei and Raiko, who both fought armies and monsters. There is also the famous samurai Taira no Tomomori, who is a strong symbol of honor. He never gave up, he never surrendered to the enemy: he preferred tying himself to an anchor and throwing himself in the river instead.

– I want my tattoo to be a symbol of protection

Mythological animals and deities can be used to symbolize protection. For example, fireman were the firsts to get dragon tattoos because the dragon is not only a symbol of protection but it’s also a water animal in Japanese mythology.

– I love mangas and everything that has to do with Japan, but I want something original

The vast majority of mangas use classical, mythological Japanese themes for their stories. For example, the three Sannin in Naruto (Jiraiya, Trunade et Orochimaru) are classical characters of Japanese folklore. The ‘’Yokai’’ that we find in mangas are also fun characters.

It’s important to know that JAPANESE TATTOO ≠ MANGA, they are completely different forms of art. Even though they both are derived from Ukiyo-e (Japanese woodblock prints), mangas can’t be tattooed as is.

There are multiple ways of choosing a Japanese style tattoo. You can choose something more traditional
or play with the ideas to make a less traditional design. Either way, Japanese tattoos are a fascinating
world with so many ideas. For more informations on different subjects, I invited you to check out my
other blogs.