Responding to requests friends about the term Japanese tattoo, I'll try to explain a little about these terms.
- Irezumi (入れ墨, 入墨, 文身 (also pronounced bunshin), 剳青, 黥 or 刺青): tattoo (noun or verb)
- Horimono (彫り物, 彫物, literally carving, engraving): tattoo. This is another word for traditional Japanese tattoos.
- Horishi (彫り師, 彫物師): a tattoo artist.
- Bokukei, bokkei (墨刑): punishment by tattooing.
- Tebori (手彫り, literally to carve by hand): describes the technique of tattooing by hand.
- Hanebori (羽彫り, literally to carve with a feather): a hand-tattooing technique employing a feathering motion.
- Tsuki-bori (突き彫り): a hand-tattooing technique employing a thrusting motion.
- Kakushibori (隠し彫り, literally hidden carving): tattooing near the armpits, the inside of the thighs and other "hidden" body areas. Also refers to the tattooing of hidden words, for example among the petals of flowers.
- Kebori (毛彫り): the tattooing of fine lines or of hair on tattooed figures.
- Sujibori (筋彫り): outlining, the outline of a tattoo.
- Shakki: the sound needles make when they puncture the skin.
- Irebokuro (入れ黒子): from ire or ireru, which means to insert, and bokuro or hokuro, a beauty spot
- Yobori: "Yo" (European) tattooing. The Japanese-English slang term for tattooing done with the machine.
- Sumi (墨): The ink used to tattoo, traditionally mixed by the apprentice
- Hikae: Chest panel tattoo
- Nagasode (長袖): Arm tattoo, to the wrist
- Shichibu (七分): Tattoo 7/10ths of the sleeve to the forearm
- Gobu (五分): Tattoo 5/10ths of the sleeve to above the elbow
Examples of Japanese Tattoo:
