It is important to understand that tattoos offers both a
spiritual and psychic depicture of a certain culture. In Japan,
nature and “living” beings of Japan comes together to form
this abstract representation of their culture that resonates
within each and every individual simultaneously: to
establish a connection with the past and the present. That
is the hearts of their culture, the force of the “kami”.
Shintoism
Shintoism aims to formulate a connection between the past
and present by establishing the worthiness of Japan’s original
and independent cultivation within the hearts of the people.
We learned that the Japanese people look up to a leader figure.
Those who figured it out establish themselves as a leader but it
won’t be achievable if they didn’t do it through the philosophy
of their culture: kami or, rough translated as god. The reason for
that is a kami doesn’t need to have a solid figure. It can be a like
any godly figures or simply, a life force.
Kami?
In Japan, essentially, anything can resident a god in it. Hayao
Miyazaki, the most iconic figures of Japan for his tribute to the
animation industry, constantly illustrates the appearances of
god in almost any form and occasion. Rocks, trees, grass, water.
They are all interrelated to the geographic structure of Japan
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Motifs & Symbolisms
and the concept is that as long as your up for it, anyone can
become god. This was particularly reflected within legends of
animals.
Their beliefs are transferred into manifesting the idea of an
unseen force that reinforces the appearance or personality of
something. To visualize this concept in a more personal
connection, tattooing an assortment of mythical creatures, who
also seeks for a chance to become kami, is the way to go. An
example would be the fox, kitsune. The tale goes that the more
tails they gain, the wiser they become, which ultimately decides
whether they are worthy of being divine beings and ascend to
heaven. Even though it appears to be a distinctive symbol of
Japan, it actually only gained its popularity during rise of the
ukiyo-e. It is the start of a “zeitgeist” – the defined values of a
particular point of history. It was directed towards the Edo period
where the natives seek to redeem Japan’s culture. This is called
Reciprocal Determinism. We’re both creators and products of the
situation that we choose to surround ourselves in.
Through the conscious motivation of scavenging what’s left of
their nation against the external influences, they are bringing
back old practices of the spiritual beliefs to preserve their
mythologies and keep the ethos of their ancestors. This becomes
a stable, lasting ideal behaviour within the natives from the
strong belief of reinforcing their own culture onto the future
generations. These series of nationalism has in turns, defined
what it means to be and think like a Japanese person. It is a
remarkable transcendence of mindsets through the formation of