Want a female tattoo from Japan? You will be shocked to read the history behind the tradition of Japanese women tattoos.
Many women would be surprised and would actually think twice before getting themselves tattooed after being enlightened by the history of this art form. It is true that the art of tattooing has now become a common practice for women to adorn their body with and they have a wide collection of feminine designs that compliment the fairer sex. The real question is where is this trend coming from?
Today the west is considered a broad minded society that accepts innovation irrespective of the moral standards of that fashion. The same goes for the art of tattooing. Sixty years ago few women would dare to get themselves tattooed due to the social pressure. With the constant influence exerted by the television media few women really care now if they will be termed as rebellious.
Most people are aware of the tribal origins of the art of tattooing which does not seem to have any negative connotations for the masses. The very first settlers of the Japanese islands such as the Ainu and Wa people were known for practicing this form of body art. Even at that time the advanced Chinese culture thought the practice of tattooing to be barbaric. If you think about it from that perspective, reviving a trend of barbaric tribes full of superstition doesn’t make much sense in today’s times either.
If that in itself if not bad enough women would perhaps especially be turned off from the idea of getting themselves tattooed after knowing that tattoos were actually used as a means of punishment for criminals in Japan. In fact Japan was the last country to abolish this means of punishment. A tattoo on your body was taken as a sign of shame and people sought other means to cover it. Eventually this led to the development of aesthetically pleasing tattoos that were created for the purpose of hiding the shame caused by punitive tattooing.
History of Women’s Tattoos
So when did women start getting themselves tattooed? According to the Japanese history of the art we find that the first women to actually get them selves tattooed were the geisha girls and prostitutes. Since the nature of their work was such that they sought to attract their customers by means of adorning their bodies with beautiful tattoo designs which they would openly flaunt at the passerby.
With all this knowledge women may really contemplate the moral implications of getting themselves tattooed. With the moral fabric of the western society widely perceived to be declining the women do not feel shy or any shame whatsoever on adopting a trend that was used by people of shady characters. What’s now is now and that was back then they say. Nonetheless women with tattoos are still looked down upon in the conservative Japanese society even today.
More than anything else it is the television that has made this highly unacceptable trend of tattooing more socially acceptable for both men and women. With famous celebrities and sportswomen wearing tattoos it was not long before the general woman public began taking to the practice regardless of the history of the practice.
