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Japanese Tattoo Glossary
Japanese Tattoo Meanings
- Bokashi: the shading of gradations in black and grey used in the Japanese tattoo background
- Botan: the peony flower
- Gobusode: a pair of japanese tattoo half sleeves; “five tenths” sleeves
- Gakubori: The japanese tattoo background, composed of God’s natural elements such as wave and wind; the setting of the Japanese tattoo
- Ho-o: The pheonix. The -o is pronounced by extending the o sound for the length of an extra syllable
- Hori: literally, engraver; a tattoo artist
- Horishi: the tattoo artist
- Irezumi: the japanese tattoo; the name given to the helpful practice of forcibly tattooing criminals to help the innocent identify them; nowadays this term applies to the whole of Japanese style tattooing, and is the most commonly seen name for it
- Kamenoko: turtle back; the Japanese backpiece tattoo, which extends from the nape of the neck downward across the buttocks to the mid thigh; so named for resembling the shell of a turtle, “kame”.
- Kiku: the chrysanthemum flower
- Koi: the carp, a Japanese word all American tattoo people know by heart!
- Mikiri: the strict, tight border of the Japanese tattoo background, responsible for much of its severe appearance, and its clearly defined shape
- Momiji: the maple leaf
- Munewari: traditional irezumi front tattoo, it spans the length of the front of the body and is split down the middle- this allows for some of the chest to be seen (as with an unbuttoned shirt) without exposing the tattoo
- Nagasode: a pair of Japanese tattoo full sleeves; the full sleeve is the ultimate American tattoo sleeve, in japanese tattooing, it is used much more seldom than the conservative gobusode, or the perfect in length shichibu.
- Ryu: Japanese dragon, the most iconic image in all of irezumi. Very difficult to pronounce the Japanese "r" in English.
- Sakura: The cherry blossom flower
- Senjafuda: a name card of an individual, used in irezumi by the tattoo artist to sign his work; he affixes it to the Japanese backpiece as a mark of distinction and authenticity
- Shichibu: a pair of Japanese tattoo three quarter sleeves; more accurately, “seven tenths” sleeves
- Shishi: chinese lion, often referred to as a fu-dog, an often used image in irezumi
- Sode: a pair of Japanese tattoo sleeves
- Tebori: hand engraving; the traditional Japanese method of tattooing with needles attached to the end of a hand-held and hand-powered tool
- Soushinbori Donburi: whole and complete Japanese tattoo bodysuit; very rarely achieved, the wearer is elevated to the highest rung of tattoo
- Tora: the tiger; power animal of the earth