Because the unadorned body was not considered aesthetically appealing, irezumi flourished as a means of decorating and embellishing it. Irezumi gained such popularity in Japan that a museum at Tokyo's largest university proudly displays tattooed skins as works of art. Even more bizarre is the practice of some to actually purchase, for several thousand dollars, the tattooed skins of those still living. The skins are delivered at death and the remaining balance is paid (C.O.D. and then R.I.P., baby!)

Above: A map of Japan showing the location of Hokkaido Island, home of the Ainu.

For some, tattooing has a special spiritual significance. The women of the Ainu, an indigenous people living on the island of Hokkaido in Japan, often tattoo moustaches above their upper lips and fill the incisions with soot, considered a sacred substance, in order to protect them from evil spirits. The process commences in childhood, and by the time the girl is ready to marry, the blue-black moustache may extend from ear to ear (see photo next page).

A more extreme example of tattooing exists in the Trobriand Islands of Papua New Guinea, where the islanders tattoo their pubic region and thighs at puberty as a sign of sexual maturity, independence and beauty.

Don't think that westerners haven't caught onto these rituals, however. Pick up any tattooing magazine and inside you'll see examples of men and women with all sorts of elaborate tattoos on their chests, buttocks, arms and genitals. In addition, many women have their eyelids and lips tattooed with permanent eye- or lip-liner. A recent article in The New York Times reports that for those unwilling to have their own skin tattooed, a Tokyo-based artist group known as Orga creates and sells handmade tattooed leather garments. The tattooed clothing, which ranges in price from $1,450 to $40,000 for a floor-length coat incorporates many traditional Japanese tattoo motifs, such as cranes and bamboo.

But why tattoo or scar the body in the first place? For many, these forms of dress are a sign of independence, or an expression of political/religious/cultural beliefs. For others, they are symbols of beauty, status or sexual orientation. Whatever symbolism they hold, scars and tattoos truly allow the wearer to make her mark.

October 15, 1999

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Chaplin, Julia. "Leathery Body Language." The New York Times. 30 December 2001, Sec. 9, p. 3.

Cohen, David, ed. The Circle of Life: Rituals from the Human Family Album. San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 1991.

Davidson, Basil. African Kingdoms. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1966.

Davis, F. Hadland. Myths and Legends: Japan. Boston: David D. Nickerson & Co., 1910.

Fisher, Angela. Africa Adorned. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. Publishers, 1984.

Kennett, Frances. Ethnic Dress. New York: Facts on File, 1994.

Ledesdale, Lord, GCVO, KCB, Tales of Old Japan. London: MacMillan and Co., Ltd., 1908.

Robinson, Julian. The Quest for Human Beauty: An Illustrated History, New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1998.

Sichel, Marion. Japan, New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.

Unknown. The Secret Museum of Mankind, New York: Manhattan House, date unk.

Photo Credits:

1. Anonymous, The Secret Museum of Mankind, Manhattan House, New York, date unk.