History:

Japanese tattoo has been around for a very long time.  Old haniwa or clay figurines dug up in Okinawa in 1977 had facial marks assumed to be tattoos. These clay figurines were dated to at least the 5^th century, approximately 5000 B.C. The use or purpose of tattoo during that time has yet to be studied. 

In the 13^th Century, Japanese tattoo was used as a punishment and a means for marking criminals or social outcasts. While criminals were usually physically punished, giving them tattoos was another form of punishment. Tattoos were seen as a disgrace to the wearer’s family, and therefore brought emotional grief to the criminals. The practice was continued until the 17^th Century when another form of tattooing, called irebokuro which means “to inject love”, emerged. Irebokuro is a non-pictoral tattoo style that was usually used in love and religious pledges during a time when arranged marriages were common. People who had lovers outside of their marriage wore the irebokuro with their beloved’s name to remember them.

In the 18^th Century, Japanese tattoo took a much revolutionized make-over, mainly due to the publication of the novel Suikoden. Suikoden was especially appealing to the lower and middle classes. They could easily relate themselves to the heroes who constantly rebel agains the corrupt governement. As a result many of the lower and middle classes expressed their individualism and wore tattoos against the government's standards. Full-body tattoos depicting or imitating the heroes in the novel became extremely popular. This new form of Japanese tattoo was called irezumi, which means “to inject ink”, or horimono, which means “carved”. Even in the 19^th Century when the Meiji government banned irezumi, many people continued to pursue and maintain irezumi tattoo motifs and techniques. Between the 18^th And 19^th Century, many tattooists and artisans have formed families and schools in efforts of preserving the irezumi for which they have pride themselves with. Some people continue to flaunt and display their tattoo to promote the influence of irezumi across the land where the government could not always reach. Irezumi soon became the trademark unique to Japanese tattoo.

Current Status:

After World War II, the ban on Japanese tattoo was lifted, however, few remain who practiced the traditional and vibrant irezumi-style tattoo. While there is a worldwide recognition of Japanese tattoo, there are about only 100 tattooist in Japan who still use the irezumi tattoo. People who bore these tattoos are about 20 000, 200 of which have successfully and proudly received the traditional full-body tattoo. Clients range from construction workers, truck drivers, bar hostesses, and regretfully the yakuza (Japanese mafia).  The yakuza has dampen the reputation of irezumi by establishing a correlation between notoriety and Japanese tattoo. Now, many tattooist do not advertise their services and only pass their influence by word of mouth.

Resources and Readings:

http://www.artelino.com/articles/japanese_tattoo_art.asp

http://www.vanishingtattoo.com/tattoo_museum/chinese_japanese_tattoos.html