Japanese VS Gibberish Tattoos
Some regard it as a religious requirement, for some culture it gives a sense of belonging, and for many it is a common form of punishment. But nonetheless we cannot dispute the fact that tattooing your body is part of today’s culture, especially in the western world.
In contrary to the popular beliefs, in Japan (入れ墨) reads as Irezumi is more often than not associated with the Japanese underworld criminals (Yakuza) and if you diligently trace it back to China, they despise the practice and even labeled the Japanese “barbarian” for doing it. (that explains why YaoMing doesn’t have a Tattoo even though its rampant in the NBA)
So Why this Kanji Tattoo fad?
We believe that apart from most western celebrities spotting the fashion, the main reason to have a Kanji Tattoo is the special feeling you get by having an “unknown” characters dancing on your skin, kind of remind you of listening and becoming a fan of Korean boyband, although all you can apprehend is “Anyong Haseyo”.
Also Japanese character tattoos appeals so much to the crowd because it inspire conversation and attention due to the lack of surrounding knowledge of the characters. And isn’t that what people tattoo their body for? Attention?
David Beckham Showing off his Kanji Tattoo
What a lot of readers that lives outside the CJK World (Yes..CJK stands for Chinese Japanese Korean) don’t know is that, not only ignorance of what the character means would leave an embarrassing unerasable gibberish (which apparently is very costly and painful to remove), but it would also lead to nasty people planting some practical joke on your body.
How often do we see world-famous celebrities making tattoo mistakes? Which ends up being a laughing stock in Asian forums..
 |
 |
 |
| Defaced Symbol | Being Inked Backward | Missing Strokes |
It Sticks forever on you, and it cost more than a mere embarrassment to remove, so before you get “Pink Gay Lord” or “Hole-Fisting Dragons” smeared all over your skins, it is best to calm down, and think.. if you really want this tattoo or not? A hasty decision will often result in a regrettable and painful designs.
Useful Advice IF you have to get a Japanese Tattoo
1. Consult someone who understands or have learned the language (someone with JLPT level 2 at least)
2. After finding the words you desire, check with your CJK (Chinese, Japanese and Korean) friends, to make sure it is not a weird phrase in their language (Yes, sometimes the same characters can mean different in different culture)
3. To save money and time find printable tattoo designs online, so that you can print and bring to your trusted tattoo artist.
(they will love you for it!)
Here are some reliable sites that sells printable Kanji tattoo designs:
- Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
- dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)
- Kirainet.com – A geek in Japan (Subscribe)
