“ In some aspects, it( irezumi) is a reflection of yourself or as a personal expression. It’ s the only way that you can look at it. Because if you get tattooed, it’ s only for you. If you say it’ s for someone else, it’ s just a lie.” much possible. You cannot move in our society from the low to the very top now. So I have had to look for strange things where there is no dominant company.
With Facebook and Google, there is no space or anything. So for a business you have to find some space. I know this is strange but its fun and you make people happy most of the time and I get some freedom.
How do you perceive tattoos? Coming from a western culture, our perception of tattoos has changed so much in 10 years. Before, it was just a culture of the lower class. Now, it’ s gone so far and big that it consists of every class, and for different style of tattoo, people relate to different classes.
The difference now is that Western people think that Japanese tattoos are high class so we get many rich and skilled and educated people coming to see us. So my aim is to make high ends of tattooing. With very good safety and regulation, I want to create something like a good plastic surgery clinic. It does not have to be rough or scary. If you want to do it, we’ ll help you. We don’ t sell, we just explain.
Can you walk broadly out of the street of Japan with your tattoo? If you are Asian, people will be scared of you. If you are a foreigner, it’ s different. I called it the gaijin( foreigner) smash. You( the Japanese) know you should not but they think,“ Oh it’ s a foreigner, they must not understand”. I don’ t care because I can never be Japanese. I would always be a foreigner, so why should I change for them? But for Japanese people, it’ s very different, especially when it comes with age. My friend who is 40, he is from the generation where there were gangster problems. He hides always, but young people, twenties, teenagers, get tattoos and they don’ t care.
How do you think Irezumi should be seen by the world? Its personal, it’ s a private thing. You’ re doing it to yourself and really, it’ s not really anyone’ s business. Unless you are the yakuza and you are using it as a tool for intimidation. That is different. I can’ t explain why people do it, everyone has different reasons. But because it’ s a private thing, go for it. These tattoo artists devoted their entire life to make this craft and they take it very seriously. With Westerns, the change has already happened. But for others such as Korean, Chinese and Japanese, it is still different.
Above Tattoo artist Wakatomo tattooing the figure of Ragaraja on a client’ s back. Its wrathful appearance is only a cover of the diety’ s affectionate and loving nature. Individuals often seek him out for forging harmonious relationships in love or partnership.
Photo courtesy to Tattoo Experience
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