Japanese Tattoo Advise
 

Hello fellow Japan lovers :)

First off, my English isnt perfect, this is because im from the Netherlands so please excuse me for that ;)

Ok so ill explain my situation:

4 months ago my sister passed away due uncureable cancer, we were very close especially the last few months.
Now that i've come over it a bit i decided to show my gratitude in a tattoo form.
Im a big fan of japanese tattoo's so i decided im going for a japanese/asian one.
Now im not a expert on this kind of art so im not quite sure how i want the tattoo, i was thinking of a angel wing with the date of her birth and the day she passed away with the word: 損失 wich means "Loss" as far i know.

Is this a good idea or do you people have a japanese tattoo form wich shows the loss of someone?
Some advise is welcome :)

Thanks in advance!

Not a good idea.

損失

can mean "loss", but it also means "hemorrhage", "deficit", "cost" and is often used in a financial context. Not a good idea for a tattoo.

If you know real Japanese tattoos, you will know words rarely appear in them.

I think appropriate word is name＋命.For example,洋子命.I don't know John Lennon did so.
Not necessary means the loss of someone.It means love or loyalty for some one.
But I don't think foreigner's names are fit.
Using simply 愛（means love) is not strange　in meaning.
But,as MMM said, words rarely appear in japanese tatoo.In addition,japanese people usually think of japanese tatoo as symbol of yakuza now.

English speakers sometimes laugh at Japangrish or Engrish.If you use 損失,Japanese speakers feel the same.
I think a angel wing with the date of her birth and the day she passed away with NO japanese word is good.

MMM is right. The kanji you gave do not express the meaning of "loss of a loved one" at all, and a Japanese person would be quite surprised to see that word as a tattoo, especially with an angel wing above it.

Expressing your loss in this way is not the Japanese thing to do.
You would be better off investing in a Butsuma or the plain shinto version.

A Japanese would never get a tattoo to remember their dead family, Wherever the Tattoo was would be considered unclean and you would essentially be carrying around the spirit of a dead soul on your arm. Never a good thing.

I have a Japanese friend who did just this so i think that 'never' is certainly untrue.

Perhaps you meant traditionally?

A tattoo can draw inspiration from a range of different cultures etc to gain a personal meaning.

If I was you (original poster) I would purchase some japanese tattoo magazines/books and contact some local tattoo artists - a lot of non japanese specialize in japanese art. Do you have any tattoo conventions/expo's in your area? I just visited one in sydney and there would have been about 10 japanese tatoo artists there as well as 140 from other places.

Traditionally, culturally, dirtyrobo is right. Japanese don't even name their children after deceased relatives, as it is considered a sort of death wish, from what I understand.

A Japanese would never get a tattoo to remember their dead family, Wherever the Tattoo was would be considered unclean and you would essentially be carrying around the spirit of a dead soul on your arm.

So how do Japanese people moarn then? :)

After all i decided to go for a angel wing on my shoulder with above the wing the date of her birth and under the wing the date she passed away.

Im getting the tattoo april 3th, ill post a picture of it if someone is interested :D

Thanks for your help guys :cool:

I understand tattoos are a part of remembering those who have passed away in some cultures. Japan isn't one of them.

Memorial services occur at certain anniversaries of a loved one's death. I think this is an interesting way to remember and honor those who have passed.

Japanese mourn their relatives by having regular memorial services, and also by keeping a small shrine with a photo of their loved one/ones. My girlfriend's grandmother keeps such a shrine for her late husband, and puts a bowl of rice and a cup of tea in front of it every day.

Keeping a person's memory alive in your heart is much better than wearing a memory on your skin. If you want to keep your sister's memory alive, keep a picture of her on your desk and another one in your wallet, don't deface your body.

There is also the Obon and Ohigan festival. These are the only times it is belived that the dead can eat.
At these times, many Japanese place food and drink infont of their home shrines in the hope that their starving lost ones can enjoy, once again, the foods from their life.

Having a shrine in a Japanese house is a good way for the Japanese family to always be reminded of the ones who came before, that helped them to be alive now. Many of these shrines are handed down over many generations and can contain many ancestors.

A tattoo will only ever exist on your skin and be lost on your death. If you are getting it for yourself then fine. If it is for your sister, then I would think she would have told you not to get it. You would only be changing the way she saw you, before she became a buddha.

Beautifully expressed, dirtyroboto.

Tantoo is one way to show your will
 

Tantoo is one way to show your will, but you need think twice before tantoo.

I am very sorry to hear about your sister.

As many people said, tattoo bearing a negative meaning (objectively, your personal motives aside) is maybe not the best idea. Perhaps you could express your feeling of loss in a positive way, if that is possible. For instance a tattoo meaning unity of your spirits such as 一心 (いっしん　one heart / in here unity of both of you in one heart). It would show that you are still connected with your sister even though she passed away.

Or 以心伝心 いしんでんしん (telepathy, understanding without words, surreal ethereal connection of souls and minds)

It all depends on how many characters you need.
If you really want one, I could help you design the calligraphy for your tattoo.

Or simply feel what you want.

Beautifully said.