Traditional Japanese, not just Yakuza style, not anime.
About
Also known as Irezumi, it was born as a way to erase penal tattoos – markings on the body of criminals that would make them easily recognizable. Although penal tattooing died back in the 17th century, it gave rise to decorative tattooing in Japan.
Origin
This style evolved with a mystic of criminality, mafia and dangerousness associated with it and, for this reason, getting tattooed was forbidden in Japan for a long time.
Irezumi as we know it, took off in Japan in 1827 when paintings and woodblock prints from Utagawa Kunioshy, known as the precursor of the manga, become vastly popular. Some of Utagawa’s works featured criminals and outlaws covered in tattoos that spread throughout the back and arms, which increased the popularity of the style among the general public.
Among criminals, these tattoos were used as a rite of initiation and a sign of committed to the group.
Despite being outlawed up until 1948 and being strongly associated with the Yakuza, this style has kept it’s traditional looks. The only major shift is that, unlike traditional Irezumi, the tattoo’s design is now more and more influenced by the clients instead of left to the artist.
Design
Following Utugawa’s style, most Japanese tattoos are two dimensional, as if printed on fabric, with strong colors and curvy lines.
The body is treated as a canvas with little to no empty space in the tattooed body part. The pieces have a central theme, which can including heroes, myths, scenic battles, samurais, monsters or dragons and, around the main theme, secondary motifs can be found, like flowers and koi fish or natural elements, like waves and clouds.
These tattoos can take long periods to become completed and turn very expensive.
copyright:The Alpaca