Thoughts about Kanji tattoos?
 

I think if you speak Japanese, they're okay. But if you want to get one "just because you think it looks cool" then you're an idiot.

Thoughts?

I agree with the part of getting one just cause of thinking it looks cool.

I don't actually speak Japanese, but I think it's ok to get a Kanji tattoo, so long as I know what it means, and has personal meaning.
so, I apply that to others as well.

I understand what you're saying. I just kind of think of it as an abuse of the language. Same thing with any non-roman characterized language.

I think tattoos are bad ideas no matter what they are.

Until I can promise myself that tattoo will be something I will still want at 90, let alone, 30, then I will not get one.

I second what Miyavifan said. I don't think that getting a Kanji tattoo is bad as long as you actually know what it means and it's something special for you or signifies something for you. But just getting one to have one is a bit silly. I personally want tattoos in Japanese but that's just because I'm really into Japan and it would mean something to me. But that's just me :]

I just can't say I agree. But I respect your feelings about it. :)

@ Ningyou

I just feel like thanking you.

I've thought about it off and on.. of one I'd like to get... on the back of my neck.

Oooh! I've thought of one there too. Well, almost. I've thought about getting one in between my shoulder blades :]

What do you want to get?

Wicked.

Kyo's name...

I've thought of a butterfly to go with it.
But I can't decide if I want it there, or on my hip, near the bone area, on the left.

What would you get?

Wow... You think someone is an idiot simply because they want to have Chinese Chars tattooed on their body? No offense to you, but if I ever met someone that truely believed that, then I'd be obliged to think they're the idiot.

I haven't got any tattoos and I don't think I ever will, but I also don't care if others get tattoos for whatever reason. If "because it's cool" is a good enough reason for them, then so be it, it's their life and body. If you believe it's a mistake later on, then so what, you learn from your mistakes, and luckily in most cases, tattooes aren't life threatening. So it's not really a HUGE mistake!

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 appreciate everyone's feedback! Keep em' coming.

I wouldn't mind getting my name in Katakana.

グレッグ

Generally because I like my name. However, too many people get a foreign language on their bodies, so I'm less inclined to now.

Couldn't agree more.

i wouldn't get a kanji tattoo unless it was my name...

cause no matter what it might mean, it's still my name and that's not really gonna change :p

毛星民 "Mo - fur" "Seong - star" "Min - Nation/people" korean btw ;p

I don't see anything wrong with it - as it's been said before: so long as you KNOW what it means and it has some meaning behind it. It's no more or less silly than some of the other crap I see people get tattooed on themselves. If you're going to say it's silly or stupid then it needs to be because the idea of tattooing involves putting something permanent on your body period, not because a person choose to put it in another language.

To be honest I'm not bothered about what other people do to themselves. I'm not particularly fond of piercings or tattoos but other people having them doesn't bother me at all. Most piercings you can take out and it's fine, but a tattoo is with you forever and I change my mind a lot.

You can remove a tattoo quite "easily" these days. It just might be expensive, depending on where you live.

It's not about the tattoo's. I could care less about the tattoo, I have three myself. But it's the fact that the tattoo is of a language that you don't understand, and I somewhat find it slightly on the disrespectful side. Even thought I'm not Japanese, I've lived there, and speak the language, so I don't know. I just find it abusive in a sense.


But it's not the fact that it's a tattoo. It's that it's a KANJI tattoo.

Kanji tattoos are so cheesy.

Unless you're asian or your kanji tattoo is accompanied by some sort of art-- do yourself a favor and don't get "peace" or anything corny.


When I went to Japan I climbed a mountain in Takefu and I did Zazen with a real buddhist priest-- it was awesome and he hand drew me a Daruma... Its really simple and awesome, and the kanji of that temple is on it, I plan on getting the Daruma with the kanji on my back in the same calligraphy-style.

It was an important moment in my life, so kanji seems permitable.

I'll scan it sooner or later. Mine is FAR more badass, but here's kinda what it looks like:

Hm...I guess somewhere deep down I guess I could find that situation acceptable. And yeah, I agree with you. Like those morons who get 愛 tattoos because they think it's cool.

Hah, well good thing I was 'accepted'...

but I dunno-- anyone who gets anything in ANY language and doesn't even have a real interest in the language should be burned at the stake.

I think their awesome But Im not getting a tatto.

LOL You know what I meant bro =P

Who cares if it's cliche? If that's what people want on their bodies than it's their choice. You people are so ridiculous sometimes.

I think you're missing the point.

Yes, it is clearly their choice. Indeed, it's extremely cliche--

This would be the reason this thread was made: to discourage people who think they look cool with a tattoo they probably can't understand.

Apparently we do.

EXACTLY. It's idiots like Ningyou that I'm referring to. The one's who make fools of themself by thinking they're "cool" with a foreign language tatted on their body.

kanji tatoos eh, in my opinion it has to have a meaning for the person who is going to put it on, those tatoos usally call for my atention and I would ask what does it mean, and to often it's their name which I consider stupid because you could just yell your name every time you walk into a room, no need to make me ask.

right now I am working in a yin yang with a phoenix and a dragon (aka rebirth, wisdom and balance which I think life's all about) design for my first and only tatoo but i'm having problems with the phoenix, I thought of separating yin and yang and throw those words on kanji in the middle but is not my style.

Don't call me an idiot. I didn't say for one second that I thought it was "cool" or whatever just because a lot of people do it. I've never been one to do things just to follow what others are doing.

I'm simply saying that people are going to have whatever tattoos they like on their bodies. And guess what? They don't care what snotty kids online think of what they have. If it's so cliche to you then don't get one but don't look down on other people for what THEY like. That'd be like someone putting you down for something that you like.

I agree. I'm sorry if I was being immature.

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?

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.

Regarding Kanji Tattoos
 

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 :pandasleep:

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

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.

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

yeah i mind:angryblob:

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.

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.

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, :(