Japanese tattooing — known as Irezumi (入れ墨) or Horimono (彫り物) — carries one of the richest histories in the world of body art. Archaeological evidence suggests tattooing in Japan dates back to at least 300 BCE, with clay figurines bearing facial markings discovered from the Jōmon period.
For centuries, tattooing oscillated between sacred ritual and criminal punishment. The Edo period (1603–1868) saw both extremes: merchants and artisans adopted decorative tattoos as fashion statements, while courts used them to brand criminals — a practice that cast a shadow over tattooing in mainstream Japanese society for generations.
It was the Meiji Restoration of 1868 that made tattooing illegal in Japan, aimed at modernising the nation's image for Western eyes. This ban remained until 1948, yet paradoxically drove the art underground, where it flourished in the hands of master horishi who preserved classical techniques and iconography.
Today, Irezumi stands as a globally celebrated art form, with collectors from Munich to Tokyo seeking authentic traditional work.