Thoughts about Kanji tattoos?

[Solid]

I'm thinking of getting somekind of japanese tattoo if I move to japan and then when I move back having it as a memory of my time I spent there. I don't want anything simple as a kanji, but nothing too big and colorful like a yakuza tattoo, so I havnt really made up my mind about yet.

But as far from what I know, tattoos in japan is kinda taboo right? And an average japanese does have some against tattoos and associate it with criminalty, or am I wrong?

[burkhartdesu]

I've known several mid-20's Japanese who have small tattoos- and although they may have gotten it while in America I'm sure it's more socially acceptable then ever before.

[packetpirate]

I wasn't sure whether to put this in Art or Fashion or neither, so please move it if it's in the wrong forum.

Anyway, the issue: Kanji Tattoos

It seems as if the only people I see with a kanji tattoo these days have some random symbol their friends may have told them to get because it's design is "cool". I have to question why people do this. The majority of people wearing a kanji tattoo have no idea what it says, let alone the pronunciation of it or the word it represents.

If you're going to get a Japanese tattoo, why not write a meaningful sentence? You're a lot less likely to regret having a line from a poem or song tattoo'd on you than some random nonsense phrase, such as a phrase I noticed in another thread: "The one who carries the sword of darkness."

That sounds like something a weeaboo or otaku would say... or someone who is obsessed with Naruto

So instead of writing something that will look aesthetically pleasing, write something that makes sense or that will describe your character.

[SceptileMaster]

Well I suppose they can have whatever they want written on them but it I think it's a bit pointless when the characters make no sense or aren't even real kanji, just made up. Just seems stupid to me. I don't understand why people don't put more thought into their tattoos, too much get a tattoo for the sake of getting one.

[alanX]

I actually made a thread a few months ago redarding Kanji tattoos. Check it out if you want.

[angelico]

yeah i mind

[Uriko]

all i have to say on this is..as long as the person knows what the kanji stands for, then it's all good.

i hate hearing about people who get kanji tattoos thinking it means something about their names or whatnot, when it turns out to be something insulting..'cause the person who gave them the tattoo thought it would be "funny".



as for how it "looks", i'm not irritated by it at all. i love Miyavi. & he has kanji all over his body.

[SceptileMaster]

Originally Posted by Hatredcopter

It's silly regardless of whether or not you know Japanese/Chinese. They're the most cliched tattoo you can get. Often-times, kanji tattoos that may look or seem cool to a westerner will look rather silly to a native speaker of Japanese/Chinese. People treat kanji as if it's some cool, mystical language that no one understands - it's just a silly trend - and kanji is just an alphabet. Do yourself a favor and get some real artwork done if you want a tattoo.

Hanzi Smatter 一知半解 <-- go there and see the terrible mistakes people have made getting kanji tattoos.

I feel sorry for the guy with the 外人 tattoo. He's paying the tatto artists bills by giving him business and the guy has to go and permanantly ink that into his body. It's just cruel and seems plain wrong to me.

[allie2590]

I couldn't care less what people want to get tattooed on their bodies.

[alanX]

Originally Posted by allie2590

I couldn't care less what people want to get tattooed on their bodies.

Yeahh, same. I usually don't care at all what people do to themselves. But I don't know why, but just this one thing is like a pet peeve to me,