Tattoo Style

History

Irezumi is not just a simple word for tattoos in Japan. Throughout the country's history, various words have been used to describe tattoos, and the word irezumi itself has been written with different characters, each with its own unique meaning or nuance. This includes the 'irezumi' (入れ墨) used as a branding mark for criminals and the 'irezumi' (刺青) done voluntarily. Other historical terms like 'irebokuro' (入れ黒子) from the 1700s, 'mon-mon' (紋々), and 'monshin' (紋身) have also been used in the past. However, these are no longer in common use today. The term 'horimono' (彫り物) is still used, referring to tattoos or any other engraved artwork. In more recent times, the term 'wabori' (和彫り), meaning "Japanese engraving," was coined in the 20th century specifically to refer to Japanese tattoos.