Sep
09
Japanese Tattoos – Irezumi
Irezumi is a Japanese word that refers to the insertion of ink under the skin to leave a permanent, usually decorative mark; a form of tattooing.
Traditional irezumi is carried out by specialist (often illusive) tattooists. It is estimated that there are about one hundred recognized practitioners of jrezurni alive today in Japan.
Full body irezumi is painful, time-consuming and expensive: a typical traditional body suit (covering the arms, back, upper legs and chest, but leaving an untattooed ‘river’ down the center of the body where an unbottoned shirt or coat could conseal the tattoo) can take up to ten years to complete, with weekly visits to the tattooist and can cost in excess of US$30-50,000.
It is estimated that approximately twenty thousand Japanese have half body tattoos, with about two hundred carrying on with a full body tattoo.
