[Q] Samurai Tattoos

[ninjaxmaster]

Hello everybody, I'm wondering if traditionally Samurai had many tattoos on large portions of their body? I wonder because I had been previously looking at some paintings and drawings from Medievil Japan, mainly of samurai, and in many of the paintings where a samurai was not wearing armor or not fully clothes, his body (mainly the back, stomache thighs and arms) were covered in tattoos. So, was this just some samurai, all samurai, or just the artists personal portrayal of samurai?

[BrainBandAid]

It's my understanding that tattoos were (and still are) looked down upon in Japan. The Samurai were a very proud/noble/lofty group (in there own minds?). Tattoos were reserved mostly for criminals and "punks", although I'm sure there are examples of the opposite.

Check out this brief history (http://www.artelino.com/articles/japanese_tattoo_art.asp) of Japanese tattoos.

And check out this guy's (http://www.nootrope.net/koi/long.html) awsome work.

[ShininShado]

I've read almost entirely the same thing. Tattoos were something done by lower castes, probably yakuza and gangsters, maybe ninjas of different sects, but from what I read/know hardly ever by samurai.

[Tenshin]

Not ninja, ninja wouldn't have any markings on their bodies as it may give them away when in disguise. The decorative tattoos that covered the body or in many cases just the back were in fact used by Yakuza as markings of the gangs.

[ShininShado]

I am pretty sure ninjas used discrete tattoos amongst clans of ninjas as a symbol of unity/loyality. Though not the norm, I've read of it being done. I've also read that certain tattoos gave strength/power to those who wore them. Also, the tattooing of criminals came into practice, and the tattooing of geisha, hence associating tattoos with yakuza. The tattoos I were referring to were different than the full body/full back tattoos done in irezumi style.

http://www.ninjutsu.com/History%20of%20Gyokushin%20RyuNL.shtml (Here is an) interesting story of a teacher of ninjitsu covered in tattoos, I think he was soke of the Gyokushin Ryu.

[Link293]

http://www.ninjutsu.com/History%20of%20Gyokushin%20RyuNL.shtml (Here is an) interesting story of a teacher of ninjitsu covered in tattoos, I think he was soke of the Gyokushin Ryu.

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EDIT: It works if you copy and paste the link in to your browser.

[Tenshin]

http://www.ninjutsu.com/History%20of%20Gyokushin%20RyuNL.shtml (Here is an)

Never trust anything that has anything to do with Van Donk. He's a big phoney wannabe and very disrespected in the Bujinkan and Genbukan.

[xi ryu]

yes, i've heard the same, and by reading that, i agree with you.

(and besides he got the story wrong, they NEVER copy or reproduce martial arts scrolls, if u want to read it you need to have permisison from the scrolls owner, or be highly affiliated with the scrolls owner, i.e. a family member)