Kanji Tattoos

The Detailed History Behind Kanji Tattoos

It was sometime in the 4th century that the inspiration for Kanji tattoos was born.  It was then that pictograms were borrowed from the Koreans and Chinese and literacy was created in Japan.  While the Korean and Chinese people called these symbols hanzi, the Japanese referred to them as kanji.  This term means han characters.  Kanji symbols have survived through history as the tradition of the writing system for Japan.

It is true that the Japanese adopted these unfamiliar symbols from the Chinese however, they did not understand the language. Chinese and Japanese dialects are completely different.  For the reason, the Japanese people had to creatively take these symbols and make them their own.

Kanji tattoos are adored for the way that one strong symbol can represent an idea, feeling or an object. The Japanese also found a way to incorporate two different alphabets being hiragana and katakana into the symbols.  That being said, to actually be able to read Japanese properly, you have to have the knowledge to differentiate between three different writing systems.

Pictorial ideals are represented in kanji tattoos. They provide the meaning of verbs, nouns and adjectives.  As beautiful as kanji is, it is also very difficult to learn and requires a very skilled tattooist to correctly provide these types of pieces.

In fact, it is so difficult that well over 1,000 symbols are needed just to have the ability to read the morning newspaper.  By the sixth grade, children in Japanese schools are required to learn basic vocabulary which may be a good reason why they are depicted as being so brilliant.  Over 2,000 symbols can be used by one individual on any given day.

While you may think that kanji tattoos must be extremely popular in Japan, they’re not. They are actually barely even heard of there.  It is the Westerners that find expressing a multitude of objects and feelings with a mysterious symbol so incredibly intriguing.  Kanji tattoos have become so popular that they actually account for 20 percent of tattoo designs searched on the internet today.

The people that started the trend of wearing kanji symbols felt that they could identify them with Eastern philosophy. Kanji tattoos are expected to remain one of the most popular choices to wear by people of any age and sex because of the beauty and mystery behind them as well as the courage that it takes to wear the unknown.

Kanji Symbols

A Detailed Look at Kanji Symbols

While some tattooists embrace the opportunity to complete kanji symbols, others completely reject the idea. Kanji is not something that you can simply master without a substantial amount of dedication and practice. Those who are very good at it are very talented and highly respected artists.

Kanji symbols are part of a very complex system that is based on pictographs rather than alphabetical letters. Every symbol requires up to 30 individuals strokes from the pen. Many symbols are complex, offering up to 10 different interpretations which means that it takes great skill to have the linguistic knowledge that is needed to accurately analyze what the kanji symbols mean. Therefore, if Japanese is not your native tongue, you cannot be guaranteed of the exact meaning of your tattoo unless you fully trust your tattooist.

Despite the risk that comes with wearing a permanent display of the unknown, kanji symbols account for a large portion of tattoos received everyday. Why? Simply because they have unique, mysterious, bold and beautiful qualities all rolled into one symbol.

Types of Kanji Symbols

There are a few types of kanji symbols that are seen more in tattoos than they are in everyday use. Kaisho is one that you are probably familiar with, characterized by the bold angular black script. Kanji is also commonly written in gyosho, which is semi-cursive or sosho, which is full cursive. The style chosen is usually based on how the client accepts the flow of the symbol. Some people prefer a soft and loose look while others like the look of a tight, neat symbol.

Choosing a text style for kanji symbols should always be a choice of personal reflection and never forced by the artist. After all, tattoos are about self-interpretation. Some masters of the dialect even suggest that you don’t necessarily need to know the meaning of a symbol, some people are drawn to one for whatever reason and the meaning usually ends up fitting them well.

The Difficulty of Kanji Symbols

When writing kanji symbols, every one of them demands an exact order of brush strokes. This can never be altered. For a tattoo artist to draw these symbols and complete them precisely the way that they are meant to look is extremely difficult. It is also rare to find someone with such talent to do so.

It is advised when you decide to get kanji tattoos to take the time to research your tattooist. Look at their portfolio and experience in the related field. If you want to feel completely confident in the meaning of your symbol, there are trusted and respected stencil that you can purchase online to take to your tattooist to use.