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**Adeniinteme** · 02-17-2010, 09:50 AM

Do you have tattoos?
It's to do with the Yakuza, though they know foreigners have random (and sometimes pointless) tattoos - they can't make any exceptions.

The correct name, Is not Tattoo, but is "Irezumi", when dealing with traditional Japanese body art.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irezumi

Traditionally, Ink is introduced under the skin using sharpened bamboo needles that are dipped routinely in the ink, One artwork over the back or chest might take months to complete.

Also, since it was the Samurai class that first had Irezumi, it was traditional for the family of a dead samurai to remove his skin after death and stretch it across a wooden frame so that the frame could be hung on a wall and the skin admired and the person remembered, much like we in the west, hang a nice painting on the wall.

Since Yakuza also have the Irezuma, I'm assuming the same practise is still performed in parts of Japan even today.

Also, another little bit of info for the interested parties here, Having any Religious tattoos in Japan could be considered Lucky (either of the Buddhism or Shinto religions or others too).

The Japanese can be especially superstitious, as they have a long history of believing in Demons, Ghosts etc, But anyway, During Feudal times, the Samurai when testing a Katana would often use a criminal for that very purpose, either cutting an arm, leg, torso or the head etc and only certain types of criminals could be used, those who had skin diseases were not considered as the samurai sword testers believed that any disease could be imparted into the sword and thus taint its "soul", others not considered were those who had religious irezumi on their bodies, since the samurai believed that cutting a person who had a religious symbol on his body might anger the God's and thus the sword would be cursed, equally as bad as cutting someone with the sword who had something like eczema.

There were other reasons too, but those 2 above are what I remember.

Since Yakuza laws and principles are based on the Samurai's way of life (roughly) then having a religious kanji symbol on your body, might just get you out of sh*t if you find yourself in the wrong part of town, The Yakuza's favourite weapon after the gun is either the Tanto or Wakazashi, so obviously cutting some random guy who has a religious symbol on his arm, hand etc, would be considered very bad luck, and like I said the Japanese are very superstitious at times.

Sure you'll keep yourself out of trouble, but it pays to know this stuff.

I've always wanted to go to Japan myself, only one place I ever wanted to visit, and that's here....... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iga_Province

Heard a lot about the place and someday, I will go.
Hopefully before I pop my clogs!

02-17-2010, 09:50 AM	#16
Adeniinteme Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 591 Senior Member	Do you have tattoos? It's to do with the Yakuza, though they know foreigners have random (and sometimes pointless) tattoos - they can't make any exceptions. The correct name, Is not Tattoo, but is "Irezumi", when dealing with traditional Japanese body art. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irezumi Traditionally, Ink is introduced under the skin using sharpened bamboo needles that are dipped routinely in the ink, One artwork over the back or chest might take months to complete. Also, since it was the Samurai class that first had Irezumi, it was traditional for the family of a dead samurai to remove his skin after death and stretch it across a wooden frame so that the frame could be hung on a wall and the skin admired and the person remembered, much like we in the west, hang a nice painting on the wall. Since Yakuza also have the Irezuma, I'm assuming the same practise is still performed in parts of Japan even today. Also, another little bit of info for the interested parties here, Having any Religious tattoos in Japan could be considered Lucky (either of the Buddhism or Shinto religions or others too). The Japanese can be especially superstitious, as they have a long history of believing in Demons, Ghosts etc, But anyway, During Feudal times, the Samurai when testing a Katana would often use a criminal for that very purpose, either cutting an arm, leg, torso or the head etc and only certain types of criminals could be used, those who had skin diseases were not considered as the samurai sword testers believed that any disease could be imparted into the sword and thus taint its "soul", others not considered were those who had religious irezumi on their bodies, since the samurai believed that cutting a person who had a religious symbol on his body might anger the God's and thus the sword would be cursed, equally as bad as cutting someone with the sword who had something like eczema. There were other reasons too, but those 2 above are what I remember. Since Yakuza laws and principles are based on the Samurai's way of life (roughly) then having a religious kanji symbol on your body, might just get you out of sh*t if you find yourself in the wrong part of town, The Yakuza's favourite weapon after the gun is either the Tanto or Wakazashi, so obviously cutting some random guy who has a religious symbol on his arm, hand etc, would be considered very bad luck, and like I said the Japanese are very superstitious at times. Sure you'll keep yourself out of trouble, but it pays to know this stuff. I've always wanted to go to Japan myself, only one place I ever wanted to visit, and that's here....... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iga_Province Heard a lot about the place and someday, I will go. Hopefully before I pop my clogs!
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