Tebori.

Tebori (手彫り) is traditional Japanese hand tattooing. Many artists praise it for its ability to create subtle gradations of tone that are difficult to achieve with a machine.

The word Tebori comes from te meaning 'hand' and hori or horu, 'to carve, sculpt or inscribe.' The word used to describe the technique of tattooing that arose in the late 18th and early 19th century in Japan, with the appearance of professional tattoo artists in the capital city of Edo.

Steel needles, usually of greater diameter and steeper shoulder than those used in the West, are arranged in rows, singly or stacked, and are tied to a long handle of bamboo. This tool is held in the right hand, with the fingers of the left used to spread the skin to be tattooed. The shaft of the tebori tool rests on the thumb of the left hand and the needles inserted by the force of forward movement of the right arm of the tattoo artist. Unlike many other forms of hand-tattooing in Asia such as Tatau or Moko, no assistants are required for tebori.

Horimono

Horimono (彫り物, 彫物) is the term used for traditional Japanese tattoos.
From the Japanese horu 'to carve, engrave or inscribe' and mono, 'thing'.

Executed with tebori, the Japanese tattoo artist uses traditional motifs such as peony flowers, dragons or unique ukiyo-e style human figures to create a tattoo that renders the whole body as a single, symbolic work. Horimono tattoos are also unmistakable by their gaku, literally 'frame', of waves, water or wind swirls surrounding the centre of the tattoo, which gives the horimono its 'suit' appearance.

Horimono are also known variously in literature or speech as irezumi, bunshin, shisei, gaman or hokuro. Although many Westerners and Japanese use irezumi to refer to traditional Japanese tattoos, this is technically incorrect since irezumi is a cruder term based on method. As the term horimono references the art form involved in creating such a tattoo, Japanese tattoo artists and those tattooed generally use the word horimono.

Due in part to the origins of tattoo culture in Japan, its association with geishin (penal tattooing), bakuto groups as well as present day criminal cultures, most notably the Yakuza, tattoos are still a strong social taboo in Japanese culture. Sadly part of this tradition of taboo is also due to discriminatory practices against the Ainu whose women wore large facial tattoos and the Hinin and Burakumin who were given tattoos to brand their caste. Wearers of tattoos may be refused service at onsen (bath houses), hotels, sex clubs and even bars. Part of this practice stems from wanting to avoid trouble with gangs and violent youth, but much more of the prohibition rests on perceived social opinions of difference in Japan and not wanting to make other guests uncomfortable. So even if you are gaijin (foreign) and tattooed you may still be denied entrance despite the obvious lack of Yakuza connection.

Hokusai

Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) was born in Edo (now Tokyo). A prolific artist, he painted, designed prints, illustrated books and is one of the masters of the Japanese Print (Ukiyo-E).

His work is a major influence on nearly all of Japan's traditional tattoo movement with many of his stylistic interpretations instantly recognizable.

He was one of the first major Japanese artists to break away from urban scenes and produce landscapes, and in keeping with his unorthodoxy he turned to the west for influence. He was an admirer of the French painter Manet and they enjoyed a relationship of mutual learning with each other, Hokusai teaching Manet by example and Manet sending blue inks that were not available in Japan in return (see "Beneath the wave off Kanagawa," below).

Hokusai's most famous work "Beneath the wave off Kanagawa" showing what was to become "typical" Japanese tattoo style water. This is also the blue ink that was sent to him by Manet.



                                                   Tattoo literally based on Hokusai's work