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Popular Japanese Tattoo Meanings, Symbolism and Designs

Popular Japanese Tattoo Meanings

There has been a phenomenal growth of traditional Japanese tattoo designs in the past few years. It used to be that tattoos were relegated to the Yakuza or Japanese gangs and the criminals in the society. Just the site of a tattoo used to and still can strike fear into people. However, Japan is a rapidly changing country and they are starting to see the value in tattoos and more and more people have a deep respect for them. For most tattoo artists and tattoo enthusiasts alike Japanese designs have always been sought after. Here are some Japanese tattoo meanings and design ideas to help give you a guide of some possibilities if you are interested in getting such a design.

Cherry Blossom Tattoo

Popular Japanese Tattoo Meanings

For the Japanese the cherry blossom is seen to represent life itself. The flower is a thing of great beauty. It is strong in that is pushes itself and blooms in harsh conditions and climates and often comes out when the snow is first melting. Yet it is paradoxically fragile at the same time. It is fragile because it will only last a few days and then it will fall from the tree and land in the snow. The Japanese view this as a representation of life itself. Life should be lived to extreme beauty and everyday should be lived to it’s fullest. Yet one must always be aware of the possibility of death and therefore with the eventuality of death live life even more fully. This is a great tattoo and a symbol that is laden with powerful reminders and a great guide to how each individual should live their life.

Koi Fish Tattoo

Popular Japanese Tattoo Meanings

Koi fish are probably the second most powerful symbol in tattoo designs in general but also fro the Japanese. Koi fish can been seen in front of almost every temple throughout Japan. The myth states that the Koi fish swim back up stream against the current to eventually read a bridge or a gate. If they can make it to the gate they are turned into dragons and magically fly away to start a new life. The symbolism behind this design is one of perseverance which is a very deep and important concept for the Japanese. In fact they have many more words to describe perseverance, effort and sticking with something in the language then we do in English.

Hannya Mask Tattoo

Popular Japanese Tattoo Meanings

Hannya masks are scary looking and demonic masks. The mask comes from the famous Kabuki plays in Japan and it depicts a women who has been consumed with rage over a lover or someone that has not returned her love. There are different variations as each Kabuki play has a different interpretation. At any rate these masks represent a jealous women. However, they have been widely used in Japanese tattoos and also here in the west. When they are used in tattoo in it is believed that they will ward of evil spirits and bring good luck to the person wearing it. Japanese will also sometimes but these up for display high in the room of their house to ward off evil spirits.

Samurai Tattoo

Popular Japanese Tattoo Meanings

Samurai of course lived by the code of Bushido. There is not enough room here to full explain the code of Bushido but it deals with living life to the fullest, being prepared to die in service and being loyal and strong. The concepts of Bushido are pretty much at the heart of all Japanese values and morals and also what is taught to most young kids over and over again through stories. You could say the code of Bushido is the heart of the Japanese culture and beliefs. Samurai’s and samurai tattoos of course are the best symbol of these beliefs.

These are just four of the most popular themes within Japanese tattoos. One of these might be right for your design and what you are looking for. There are tons of other Japanese tattoo meanings and tattoo design out there. It is best to do some reaserch and spend time finding a design that is right for. This site dedicated to Tattoo Designs can be very helpful in finding the design that is right for you.

Japanese Dragon Tattoo Designs

Japanese Dragon Tattoo Designs

Japanese dragons are a combination of Indian, Chinese and Korean myths and legends, both in their appearance and their significance. They are primarily understood as manifestations of water gods, whether the water is rain, a river, or the sea. Japanese dragons are different than European dragons mostly due to their lack of wings, though they share the same long, snakelike bodies of the dragons from European lore.

Japanese Dragon Tattoo Designs

You can tell whether a dragon is Japanese, Chinese or Korean by how many toes it has on its feet. Chinese dragons have five toes, whereas Korean ones have four toes and Japanese dragons have only three toes. In Chinese mythology dragons represent wisdom and power. There are nine kinds of Chinese dragons, and each has a domain or a characteristic assigned to it -- there are celestial, spiritual, earth, underworld, horned, winged, coiling and yellow dragons, and the king.

Japanese Dragon Tattoo Designs

Japanese dragons mean different things to different people, and tattoo culture in the modern United States seems to be morphing away from what dragons represented in traditional Japanese texts, like the Kojiki and Nihongi that were written all the way back in 7th and 8th century Japan and earlier. For instance, in modern tattoo parlors, the dragon Ryu is a Buddhist image of faith, and is considered an immortal.

Japanese Dragon Tattoo Designs

There is a dragon god Ryujin, also called Watatsumi in ancient Japanese myths, but he was not so much an embodiment of faith so much as the ruler of the oceans. He was also able to change into human form when he chose to, and there are no references in modern tattoo lore or meanings or artist's renderings of these creatures becoming human.

Japanese Dragon Tattoo Designs

Dragon colors are very important for the meaning of a tattoo. Dragons in this tradition come in black, red, white, blue and yellow. The colors are tied to one of the four directions (North, South, East and West), and to the behaviors of the dragon. Black dragons represent the North, for example, and create storms when they fight. Red dragons also create storms when they fight, but they represent the West. Blue dragons hail from the East and are a manifestation of the season Spring. White dragons belong to the South, and represent mourning, death or famine and the eastern dragon god O Goncho. Yellow dragons are actually meant to be gold dragons and represent the dragon Kinryu. They are linked to no particular direction and are almost always invisible, until the single perfect moment, in which they briefly show themselves.

Japanese Dragon Tattoo Designs

There are also a number of names and qualities embodied with different dragon tattoos now. For example, the dragon Fuku Riu is for good luck. He is usually shown flying up and is supposed to be in a pose of liveliness and strength. According to our dragon lore, any dragon flying into the sky mean ascension or success.

Cool Japanese Shirt Sleeve Tattoo Design

For men, it is important to have a tattoo that is unique, different, at the same time cool. More popular designs include dragons, flames and skulls for sleeve tattoo designs. If you want something a little more different, don't go to these generic and common tattoo subjects! Why won't you get yourself a Japanese sleeve tattoo instead?

Here are some popular subjects of Japanese shirt sleeve tattoo designs:

Koi fish - Koi fish are beautiful and vibrant. They look great for sleeve tattoo designs! The contrasting vibrant oranges and deep blue water hues are perfect. Make your Koi fish tattoo three dimensional and with color... this way, it will really feel like the fish is about to pop out from your skin!

Dragons - Japanese dragons sometimes look more fierce and vicious than their European counterparts. You can have a fierce dragon tattooed black or red in your sleeve. Dragons are mystical, magical, and the perfect symbol of strength and power.

Samurai warriors - Samurais are exclusive to the Japanese culture. Samurais are very popular in Japanese tattoo art and traditional art. They symbolize courage, strength and honor too. You can have a samurai tattooed on your sleeve, in honor of the beautiful Japanese culture.

Japanese Koi Fish Sleeve Tattoos Designs

Not only one of the very beautiful and sexy tattoo designs, Koi Fish Tattoo is also full of deep, rich and meaningful history. If you don't know, Koi is a Japanese word for Wild Carp which is a fresh water fish which is famously treasured by the Japanese who maintain their love and respect for the fish for thousands of years.

There was a Japanese legend about Koi fish that if a Koi successfully climb the fall on the Yellow River at the Dragon Gate, it will transform into a dragon. For that reason, the Koi symbolizes the strength, courage, determination to overcome obstacles and ability to obtain higher goals in life. Other say it means good fortune or luck.

There are many different opinions, though, to the symbol of the Koi Fish Tattoo. Some people feel that there is a sexual symbolism to the color and the direction of the Koi swim. There are also sources that said Koi is a symbolism of family where a black Koi represent the father; orange/red is mother; blue/white is for boys; and red/pink is for girls. For me it's a great choice of tattoo for both men and women because not only it gives a perfect shape on the arm, koi fish tattoos are popular for the deep history and symbolism behind them.

The Japanese Koi Fish Tattoo Design

If you are looking for some of the most popular tattoo designs on the "net", the Japanese Koi fish tattoo is included with a number of the other top choices. This tattoo design is associated to the Zen and stands for Good Luck. The Japanese depict an equivalent linking to the Koi fish and a Samurai Warrior because they both characterize bravery, the capability to reach high levels of achievement and the ability to pick yourself up from life's problems. Rather than running off and having a Japanese Koi fish tattoo you should remember several factors as well as the tattoo color and its place on your body.

As you ultimately go to the tattoo shop for your Koi fish concept you must maintain an unmistakable outlook on the color pattern you would like the tattoo to be in. A highly trendy color plot is the infamous Yen Yang tattoo of black and white. For several individuals this long time display is a way too boring and tame display and they would like to go for a different, more exciting display.

It's probably a good idea to pick a color design with the intention of adding to your body complexion. As a example, if you have a lighter complexion it may be even more smarter to get a gold or yellow design. Different shades that could succeed depending on your flesh tone are white, orange, purple and red and you could learn that one of these could be the paramount color choice for your Japanese Koi fish tattoo design.

Hot Japanese Koi Fish Tattoos Designs

Koi fish tattoos are quickly growing in popularity. In fact many traditional Japanese tattoo designs are coming to life with new vivid tattoo ink colors. This is a rapidly growing movement very similar to the west coast tattoo style. The west coast tattoo style started with the idea of taking older classic tattoo themes like anchors, hearts and etc and adding a ton of bright, and beautiful inks to them. A few years back the west coast tattoo style was about the hottest thing in tattoos.

However many people are not satisfied to stick with what everyone else has already done and most people that get tattoos want them to be unique and different. Therefore tattoo artists are always on the look out for new designs, new ideas and new ways to take their art to the next level. This constant pushing of the envelope develops many hot new trends in tattoo design.

In the past 5 or so years there has been a rebirth or revitalization of traditional Japanese tattoos. One of the hottest themes in Japanese tattoos has been koi fish tattoos.

Japanese Sleeve Tattoo Designs

Japanese sleeve tattoos with its rich and intricate details combined with bright colors are extremely popular among tat enthusiasts. It's becoming a mainstream and are not only getting attention from the males but with females as well. Being very exquisite and decorative, tattooing this theme can take a lot of time, even multiple session thus it can be expensive. However, the idea of sporting an aesthetically pleasing tattoo art on your arm can be really rewarding making it so much worth in the end.

When contemplating on getting Japanese sleeve tattoos, you have two options to choose from - half sleeve or full sleeve designs. Half sleeve tattoos start from the upper arm and end near the elbows while full sleeve covers the entire arm. Normally, a full sleeve is a product of something that started out as just a half-sleeve body art and then is extended later on with complimentary designs to make it a full sleeve ink. The arm is the body part involved in this process and it is such a great canvas to work on because its shape makes way for artistic flow of various tattoo arts.

Japanese Koi Fish Tattoo Designs

When it comes to favorites with tattoos the Japanese Koi fish tattoo design is a leader. both in beauty and popularity. This design represents Zen and symbolizes 'Good Luck'. The Japanese draw a parallel between the Koi fish and a Samurai Warrior as they both represent courage, the ability to attain high goals and to overcome life's difficulties. Before rushing off and getting a Japanese Koi fish tattoo you need to consider many factors including the tattoo color, its location on your body and of course any complimentary inclusions.