The History
Of course tattooing has long been a tradition in Japan. However, it was not until recent years that tattoos in Japan and their designs really came into acceptance. Way back in the days of Samurai’s tattoos were used to brand criminals. This branding of criminals continued down into the Yakuza (Japanese Gangs) choosing to tattoo themselves as a mark of the chosen lifestyle. In more recent years though the young in Japan are not getting tattoos even though they don’t belong to Yakuza. Tattoos are kind of going through a rebirth of sorts in Japan and they are becoming more widely acceptable as they have here in the US.
Japanese Tattoo Designs For Women
Here are some of the top designs that work very well for the female body. Of course any design is open to get by any female. A person is free to choose any design they want and a lady could get a huge samurai on their back if they want. However, these themes below tend to be favored by women.
Cherry Blossom Tattoos
Cherry blossoms are a beautiful flower that blooms from the cherry tree typically in April. These beautiful flowers have long been a passion for the Japan in general. They are symbolic of how fragile and beautiful life can be. Often the Samurai would write poems about Cherry Blossoms and they thought of the blossoms as being brave and ready to die at any minute. That is how the Samurai lived their life all the time. So the cherry blossom is a symbol of beauty first and foremost but it also symbolize living life to its fullest each and every day.
Geisha The Oriental Pinup
Another popular and traditional theme in Japanese tattoos are Geisha. These women were not the prostitutes or hookers but rather women of culture and refinement that were seen to carry the traditions of the culture. They were often extremely beautiful and talented women they could sing, play traditional instruments, dance and entertain. There of course are tons of traditional woodcuts that feature the “floating world” where the Samurai and Geisha would meet. Many of these woodcuts and themes have been done in tattoo designs. If you are looking for a strong female image then you could always get a design of a samurai’s wife who were traditionally trained in martial arts and expected to defend their home if needed.
Koi Fish Tattoo
Koi fish have long been a symbol for perseverance and spiritual struggle throughout Japan and China. The myth is that the koi fish swim up stream to reach the heavily gate where they then become a flying dragon and fly off into the sky. These beautiful fish are seen to be fighters and individualists since they go against the flow of the stream and they fight their way to the top. This is a powerful symbol and a very beautiful tattoo design. With the golden and orange colors of the fish combined with the blue splashing water in the background it is a very beautiful combination.
Finding A Design
If you are considering getting a traditional or even modern interpretation of a Japanese tattoo design for women then you might want to consider one of the above. There are tons of other ways you could go with a design and these are just a few ideas to get your creative mind thinking
As with any piece of permanent body art, sleeve tattoos cannot be removed without using an extremely invasive procedure that will damage the skin for the rest of your life, leaving ugly scars. This is why I advise spending as long as you possibly can, looking and considering different and original tattoo designs. The best piece of advice I can give you is to not go for a generic design that you know thousands of other people already have.
Sleeve tattoos, like every other type of tattoo tend to have their most prominent and most common types of designs. For example: Tribal, Japanese and Dragon sleeve tattoos are constantly requested in tattoo parlours throughout the world.
Tribal, Japanese and Dragon tattoo designs generally have a very artistic and spiritual look and appeal to the tattoo and are therefore very popular among male tattoo enthusiasts. Females who enjoy getting tattoos rendered tend to go for more feminine artwork, such as flowers and animal sleeve tattoos.