70+ Japanese Criminal Tattoos And Their Meanings
Tattoos in Japan are stigmatized mainly due to ties with the Yukuza or gangs and filial piety. Japanese Tiger and Koi Fish Tattoos.
Japanese English Japanese Edo Period Criminal Armband Tattoos Only Armband Characters Translator
The criminals were tattooed on their forehead so that people could see they committed a crime.
Japanese criminal tattoos and their meanings. In other words the tattoo is a representation of evil and good fighting. Koi fish are celebrated widely in Japan particularly for their masculine qualities. In the Edo period 1600-1868 tattoos were used by authorities as a punishment to criminals.
However Japanese tattoos were also used as a form of punishment for criminals and slaves which also directly referred to the social status of those social groups. And yet most people in Japan are unaware that not too long ago for a time during the Edo Period 1603-1868 the go-to form of punishment for non-violent crimes was a tattoo right in the center of your forehead. According to the Wikipedia the traditional Japanese Tattoo is called Irezumi which signifies the inserting of ink to the skin where it is the Japanese traditional way of tattooing.
Also each region had its own symbol and by the Irezumi people could tell where those guys committed the crime. Before World War II Japanese tattoos were used to depict social status as well as spiritual devotion. For as much symbolism there is surrounding the Japanese tiger tattoo the Koi fish tattoo has just as much.
Called a tattoo penalty irezumi kei it was handed down to perpetrators of relatively minor crimes like theft and burglary. For example in Hiroshima the kanji Japanese symbol for dog would be gradually tattooed on a criminals forehead with each line of the symbol representing a different crime. Throughout history tattoos have been used to symbolized persona who have committed crimes with the earliest record found in 710 AD.
It is said that koi fish who are brave in nature are not unlike a warrior facing a sword. According to tattoo experts Oni Tattoos means the devils ability to punish any evil or unjust act. During the Kofun period 300 AD.
The demonic mask shows trolls and ogres among other evil creatures you may or may not have in history. In Japan the process these gang members go through is called Irezumi. They were also used as a form of a charm for protection and spirituality.
For the criminal such branding would mean being excluded from most social circles and denied a. The Nara ink special ink used in Japanese Tattooingused is then applied to prick the area of the skin with a wooden handle with a metal needle.
