Discovering the History of Yakuza Tattoos

Written by Johnny Tran Monday, 13 June 2011 04:05

Looking into the history of Yakuza tattoos gives you a rich and valuable understanding of the tradition and its meanings. The tattoos are designed to be a full body shield that includes intricate designs and has subtleties that are striking with the combination of tones and colors. The Shogun's in the history of Japan is where the designs were prominent. Over the years the meaning has changed, but the powerful message has not.

Looking into the history of Yakuza tattoos gives you a rich and valuable understanding of the tradition and its meanings. The tattoos are designed to be a full body shield that includes intricate designs and has subtleties that are striking with the combination of tones and colors. The Shogun's in the history of Japan is where the designs were prominent. Over the years the meaning has changed, but the powerful message has not.

Criminals were though to be the first given these designs. Starting with arm bands that indicated the person was convicted of a crime, more bands were added as they were convicted of additional crimes. They were intended to be a mark of shame, but soon began to be a status symbol amongst the criminal element.

The seventeenth century is when they were first known to appear. This was a time of the Shoguns. The criminals that carried the marks were often petty criminals that were known for stealing and other mischief. It is thought that these original criminals were ronin, which were unemployed samurai that no longer had a master, or shogun to follow.

They were considered to be like Robin Hood because they often would only steal from the rich. Since they were very skilled at gaining entry to homes and palaces, they put their skills to work by robbing the rich and often giving the spoils to the poor or servants. A large group existed and began to form groups that eventually became very well organized.

Organized crime was a natural progression for these highly skilled groups. A boss or leader would emerge or be selected and the rest of the group would follow them to death. Yakuza became the name of the group. These tattoos are a symbol of loyalty to the boss. Even family members will obtain the drawings as a show of loyalty.

The drawings became a symbol of pride rather than shame. The designs are created by hand using a needle that is attached to a wooden handle and tapped into the skin. It takes at least two years for a full design to be completed, costing over $100,000. It is a very painful procedure that cannot be easily duplicated by modern equipment. Hands and face are the only areas that escape the ink drawings.

The history of Yakuza tattoos tells a story of shame turning to pride. Loyalty at all costs is displayed in the ink markings that originated by marking criminals. They number between 80,000 and 100,000 at any given time. Whether they were like Robin Hood or just mischief-makers, those that were original ronin have become one of the oldest organized crime syndicates.