Junge hübsche Frau mit Tattoo vor rotem Hintergrund
The cherry blossom is an extremely popular theme in the history of Japanese tattoo art. In fact cherry blossom tattoos are today popular more than they ever have been. Since the art of tattooing has been accepted with open arms by the West so have the general themes associated with the art.
There are a number of reasons that drive tattoo enthusiasts to go for cherry blossom tattoos. First of all the image of a cherry blossom comes out as totally unique. It is unlike other tattoos due to its simplicity and the fact that it is not over done. This fact is coupled with the symbolic meaning that the image of the cherry blossom has as a tree.
Cherry blossom tattoos are loaded with sizable strokes of brilliant pink color. This makes them highly visible even from a distance. The Cherry blossom tattoo has been used in combination with many other themes by the Japanese. This versatility of the cherry blossom gives it even more currency. It is often combined with the koi fish in Japan.
The cherry blossom tattoo designs are however exclusively for women. The fact that it is a flower also represents beauty which is something that women are loved for. The hot pink color of the flower also lends it the feminine touch.
It is interesting to note however that in Japanese tradition the cherry blossom flower was not an exclusively feminine symbol. It did not even symbolize beauty for the Japanese people. Rather the image of the cherry blossom was taken as a symbolic representation of life.
Cherry Blossom Symbolism
By its nature the cherry blossom is an extremely delicate flower. The blossoming season of the flower is towards the end of winter and goes up to early spring. It only stays on the tree a short while after it has blossomed and then it makes its way to the ground. This short lived life cycle of the cherry blossom captured the essence of life for the Japanese. The fact that it was a beautiful yet short lived moment full of suffering is what relates the cherry blossom to life in general.
Another interesting aspect of the cherry blossom is the fact that it is also taken as a symbolical representation of the way of the Samurai. Due to the nature of their work the samurai had to be prepared for death at all times. He could not really make future plans rather he was dedicated to living life to its fullest by the moment. Not being fully prepared to die was something that was considered as a restraint when it came to living life to the fullest.
The fallen cherry blossom represents the samurai who faced an early death in battle. The life of the Samurai was in this way very similar to that of the cherry blossom. The adaptation of cherry blossom tattoo designs by the youth in the west is however void of this Japanese rendition of the flower.
