Hardly the most original tattoo design i think you’ll agree. In fact the koi is the most popular base for a large Japanese tattoo there is, hand’s down. People, when asked ‘why ?’ will no doubt start quoting favorites such as – “It stands for wisdom and power” or “It means love and wealth”. Unfortunately for them they are all wrong, or should i say they are all right.
What i mean is that your tattoo means whatever you want it to, doesn’t it ? Does it in fact have to ‘mean’ anything at all ? Can it just be that you like the design or colours ? Or maybe you just think tattoos are cool. Tattoos are more in fashion now than they ever were. Everybody from magistrates to nurses are getting inked nowadays, it’s not seen as something you only do when you are young.
If you wish to find out what your Japanese koi tattoo really means you have to go back to the beginning . . .
The myth is that the colour full-body tattoo’s that we associate with being Japanese are not actually Japanese in origin. Like all good parts of Japanese culture it actually came from China. The first documented people covered in these colourful and intricate tattoos were a gang of chinese outlaws led by one Song Jiang. They were known as the 108 heroes (there were in fact 36 of them). The exploits of the gang were told in various tales, most notably from a book called ‘the water margin’. The gang were said to have lived in the marshes of Taihang mountain where the authorities did not wish to pursue them. Although they robbed people seemingly indiscriminately, they were said to be more of a Robin Hood bunch. Using their spoils to help the needy, how true this is, is another matter entirely.
Of course these stories of bravery and selflessness didn’t go unnoticed and were very well received in Japan. In Japan the books were re-released under the translation Suikoden. There were many different books released but the most popular was by a man named Utagwa Kuniyosi. He was tasked to illustrate the 108 heroes and it is here that the first full-body tattoos appears depicting vibrant animals and battle scenes. Today in Japan these large and colourful tattoos are actually not popular at all. This is because they have swarmed upon by the Japanese gangs, most notably the Yakuza. Japanese are now very wary of anybody with large tattoos. I know people who have lots of Japanese style tattoos covering various body parts and have been to Japan. They said they got mixed receptions from the Japanese population. “Most people will go to extraordinary lengths to stay out of your way” i was told. “They will cross the road, cover their eyes and even stand in the middle of the aisle on the train or bus rather than sit next to you”.
The fascination with the orient is almost as strong in the west and the obsession with the west is in the east. As for me ? I just like the designs and colours.
The koi itself has its own history. The first appearance of ‘water based’ full body tattoos was seen in Edo Japan during the Meiji restoration beginning in 1868 when Japan abolished the Tokugawa shoguns rule. By this point the process of tattooing was commonplace. Tebori (hand-colouring) is still the favoured Japanese method that involves using a metal rod with a cluster of needles on the end. The needles are dipped into ink then thrust repeatedly into the skin. It’s not actually as painful as modern tattoo guns i am told. During this period of Japan industrialisation was just taking hold. Houses were made of dry wood and shoji (paper screens), fires were common. Firefighting methods were of course very basic. Sand and water were the order of the day. Within the teams of firefighters one unlucky chap would have the job of predicting where the fire would end. His job would be to stand at this point with a flag proclaiming the ‘fire would advance no further’. Once he had decided upon the spot he was not allowed to move, even if the fire engulfed him. It’s for this reason that the water-themed tattoos were popular. Lets not forget also that Japan is made up from a group of islands. Their staple diet is one of fish.
That’s all lovely but of course im not a Japanese firefighter. Like i said before, i just like the designs. However i am also a piseces and do have a love affair with the water. If you live in Cornwall it helps to enjoy water, there is lots of it.
These are progress pictures from when i had my tattoo done. The process took nine months from start to finish and cost over £800 in total. You may wish to heed this if you are thinking of getting something similar done, oh and its also quite painful !
Prophets Blog 