Yakuza Tattoo Meanings

The origins of the yakuza are murky, but their history dates back centuries. Some say they began as ronin (samurai without masters) who stuck together and others say they had ties to the shogun government going back centuries. Tattoos in Japanese society were only reserved for criminals. The first yakuza tattoo meanings were black tattoo rings around the arm which meant you were a convict and more circles around the arm symbolized convictions. Criminal activity in Japan was something that was heavily frowned upon and those who broke the law were marked as social outcasts for life. It is highly probable that these marked convicts banded together to form what is now known as the yakuza. They were most active in the post aftermath of World War Two when Japan’s government was on the brink of collapse.

Yakuza tattoo meanings include courage, sacrifice and fierce loyalty. The size of yakuza tattoos vary from all over the back to the signature arm sleeve tattoos that would normally stop at the elbow or sometimes reach to the wrist. There is also the upper body wrap tattoo that would enclose around the ribcage and stop at the clavicle area and down the center of the navel. Sometimes these body tattoos would stop just below the buttocks. Traditional Japanese themes are prevalent in yakuza tattoos: samurai warriors, koi fish, dragons and other forms of traditional, Japanese artwork. Bright colors are essential to yakuza tattoos to make a yakuza member stand out in a crowd.

The yakuza in general are about loud and flashy in general; they can be seen wearing lavish and expensive suits that would hide their body art. Yakuza affiliates would only display their tattoos when playing cards or dice games or at a place that is safe for displaying their tattoos. The Yakuza organization in general has been a patriarchal society, but wives, mistresses and daughters of yakuza members have tattooed their skin just as heavily as male members to signify affiliation with the yakuza organization. There is still a stigma in Japanese society regarding people with tattoos, especially among people from older generations who traditionally viewed those with tattoos as criminals and yakuza affiliates. There are still certain hotels and restaurants and bath houses in Japan that ban those with tattoos. However, this stigma is beginning to wane in Japan since many young people are getting tattoos out of general interest with no ties to the yakuza.