Cherry Blossoms (Sakura)

In irezumi, the most popular seasons are spring and autumn. During these wonderfully bright and colorful in-between times, everything is in flux and either coming to life or beginning to wither. Capturing these fleeting, ephemeral moments makes them all the more powerful.

In Japan, nothing sums up the country's concept of beauty - or the country itself - better than the cherry blossom, or sakura in Japanese. Cherry trees bloom for a few days, and then the blossoms fall to the ground or are washed away in a sudden spring rain. The entire country holds picnics called ohana-mi (literally "flower viewing"), a tradition that stems from an eighth-century aristocratic pastime. People eat, drink, and make merry with friends while soaking up the pink-and-white landscape. Other venerable spring rituals include picking and preparing flowers to by eaten so their power is transferred into the body. In a way, tattoos of spring flowers are an artistic representation of this, infusing the body with the force of nature.

Falcons & Hawks

Note that the Japanese language uses the same word (taka) for both falcons and hawks. The visual difference is that falcons have a notched beak, while hawks do not. Taka are strong, with a piercing gaze. This explains why the bird has long been a symbol of the samurai , and the bird of prey is a common design on men's kimono. In irezumi, the bird of prey is paired with snakes, with the taka either swooping down to seize the snake in its beak, or with the reptile wrapped around its body. It's a depiction of killing or being killed. Thematically, the motifs is much deeper. The taka represents power, and the snake is longevity . The bird is also auspicious . Dreaming of a taka, Mount Fuji, and an eggplant on the first day of a new year is considered lucky. In the dream, the taka represents strength, power, and the ability to fly high .

Wind & Water

Tattoo motifs of wind and water; like those of bamboo and pine, are trans-seasonal. They are often employed as unifying elements across the background of a tattoo. Connecting different tattoo elements with an overarching design is a defining element of Japanese tattoos; this is an important difference compared to Western tattoos, which traditionally are isolated images on the skin. Wind and water motifs make that connection.

The Octopus

In modern times, octopus imagery has strong sexual connotations thanks to the ridiculously suggestive use of tentacles in manga, anime, and video games. The motif is not new, however; one of Japan's most famous and respected artists, Hokusai, pioneered it back in 1814 with the woodblock print The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife , which featured a woman getting hot and heavy with an enormous cephalopod. While such erotically charged associations have become infamous in the West, this underwater invertebrate means more than tentacle porn in Japan. Often shown as either cute or comical, the octopus was also the personal physician for Ryujin, the underwater sea dragon, which might explain why, in the past, Japanese doctors were fond of carrying octopus amulets. And in tattoos, the octopus's ink can make for a clever visual pun.

Japanese art and meaning.

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