Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Japanese Tattoo Terms



* Irezumi (入れ墨, 入墨, 文身 (also pronounced bunshin), 剳青, 黥 or 刺青): tattoo (noun or verb)
* Horimono (彫り物, 彫物, literally carving, engraving): tattoo. This is another word for traditional Japanese tattoos.
* Horishi (彫り師, 彫物師): a tattoo artist.
* Bokukei, bokkei (墨刑): punishment by tattooing.
* Tebori (手彫り, literally to carve by hand): describes the technique of tattooing by hand.
* Hanebori (羽彫り, literally to carve with a feather): a hand-tattooing technique employing a feathering motion.
* Tsuki-bori (突き彫り): a hand-tattooing technique employing a thrusting motion.
* Kakushibori (隠し彫り, literally hidden carving): tattooing near the armpits, the inside of the thighs and other "hidden" body areas. Also refers to the tattooing of hidden words, for example among the petals of flowers.
* Kebori (毛彫り): the tattooing of fine lines or of hair on tattooed figures.
* Sujibori (筋彫り): outlining, the outline of a tattoo.
* Shakki: the sound needles make when they puncture the skin.
* Irebokuro (入れ黒子): from ire or ireru, which means to insert, and bokuro or hokuro, a beauty spot
* Yobori: "Yo" (European) tattooing. The Japanese-English slang term for tattooing done with the machine.
* Sumi (墨): The ink used to tattoo, traditionally mixed by the apprentice
* Hikae: Chest panel tattoo
* Nagasode (長袖): Arm tattoo, to the wrist
* Shichibu (七分): Tattoo 7/10ths of the sleeve to the forearm
* Gobu (五分): Tattoo 5/10ths of the sleeve to above the elbow

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irezumi

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