Japanese Sleeve Tattoos - The Coolest Japanese Tattoo Designs For Men

A lot of guys out there these days are looking for something unique different and cool looking. Often guys get skulls, flames and sexy pinup girls as a sleeve tattoo design. However, recently there has been more and more men interested in Japanese sleeve tattoos. This is great because the Japanese have a long history of full body tattoos and therefore they are very advanced in their sleeve tattoos. These designs are cool and they make a great tattoo design for men also. Here are some ideas to help you get started on your own full sleeve tattoo design.

Japanese Koi Fish Tattoo Design

Japanese Dragons Tattoo Design

Japanese Samurai Tattoo Design

Japanese Hannya Masks Tattoo Design

Koi Fish Sleeve Tattoos Designs - Hot Japanese Koi Tattoo Art For Men and Women

Not only one of the very beautiful and sexy tattoo designs, Koi Fish Tattoo is also full of deep, rich and meaningful history. If you don't know, Koi is a Japanese word for Wild Carp which is a fresh water fish which is famously treasured by the Japanese who maintain their love and respect for the fish for thousands of years.

There was a Japanese legend about Koi fish that if a Koi successfully climb the fall on the Yellow River at the Dragon Gate, it will transform into a dragon. For that reason, the Koi symbolizes the strength, courage, determination to overcome obstacles and ability to obtain higher goals in life. Other say it means good fortune or luck.

There are many different opinions, though, to the symbol of the Koi Fish Tattoo. Some people feel that there is a sexual symbolism to the color and the direction of the Koi swim. There are also sources that said Koi is a symbolism of family where a black Koi represent the father; orange/red is mother; blue/white is for boys; and red/pink is for girls. For me it's a great choice of tattoo for both men and women because not only it gives a perfect shape on the arm, koi fish tattoos are popular for the deep history and symbolism behind them.

Popular Japanese Tattoo Meanings, Symbolism and Designs

There has been a phenomenal growth of traditional Japanese tattoo designs in the past few years. It used to be that tattoos were relegated to the Yakuza or Japanese gangs and the criminals in the society. Just the site of a tattoo used to and still can strike fear into people. However, Japan is a rapidly changing country and they are starting to see the value in tattoos and more and more people have a deep respect for them. For most tattoo artists and tattoo enthusiasts alike Japanese designs have always been sought after. Here are some Japanese tattoo meanings and design ideas to help give you a guide of some possibilities if you are interested in getting such a design.

Cherry Blossom Tattoos

For the Japanese the cherry blossom is seen to represent life itself. The flower is a thing of great beauty. It is strong in that is pushes itself and blooms in harsh conditions and climates and often comes out when the snow is first melting. Yet it is paradoxically fragile at the same time. It is fragile because it will only last a few days and then it will fall from the tree and land in the snow. The Japanese view this as a representation of life itself. Life should be lived to extreme beauty and everyday should be lived to it's fullest. Yet one must always be aware of the possibility of death and therefore with the eventuality of death live life even more fully. This is a great tattoo and a symbol that is laden with powerful reminders and a great guide to how each individual should live their life.

Koi Fish Tattoos

Koi fish are probably the second most powerful symbol in tattoo designs in general but also fro the Japanese. Koi fish can been seen in front of almost every temple throughout Japan. The myth states that the Koi fish swim back up stream against the current to eventually read a bridge or a gate. If they can make it to the gate they are turned into dragons and magically fly away to start a new life. The symbolism behind this design is one of perseverance which is a very deep and important concept for the Japanese. In fact they have many more words to describe perseverance, effort and sticking with something in the language then we do in English.

Hannya Masks

Hannya masks are scary looking and demonic masks. The mask comes from the famous Kabuki plays in Japan and it depicts a women who has been consumed with rage over a lover or someone that has not returned her love. There are different variations as each Kabuki play has a different interpretation. At any rate these masks represent a jealous women. However, they have been widely used in Japanese tattoos and also here in the west. When they are used in tattoo in it is believed that they will ward of evil spirits and bring good luck to the person wearing it. Japanese will also sometimes but these up for display high in the room of their house to ward off evil spirits.

Japanese Symbol For Victory - Use it As a Japanese Tattoo Symbol

Selecting a Japanese symbol for a tattoo design can be a difficult choice. There are a lot of characters to select from, it is worth taking the time to research and know all of the choices. There are a select few tattoo designs that constantly seem to be well-liked. One of these is the Japanese symbol for victory. This article will tell you more about this Japanese character and popular Japanese tattoo symbol.

Victory in Japanese, when used for a tattoo is usually written in Kanji. If you have not studied Japanese, you may not be aware that there are three Japanese writing systems. They are called hiragana, katakana and kanji. Although it is possible to write the word victory in all of the alphabets, on the whole people will prefer to write it in Kanji. Kanji is usually used for concepts and Katakana is as a rule used for Names and foreign words. Kanji is the word in Japanese that is used to refer to chinese characters. These characters were originally simplified from characters brought to Japan from China.

Hot and Sexy Japanese Tattoo Designs For Females - The Best in Feminine Tattoo Designs

Those who have a few tattoos probably know how hard and the time and effort it can take to find the perfect tattoo and the perfect design. It can almost be down right frustrating at times. It seems people are always wanting to find something that is different, unique, sexy and original. Well, right now is a great time to get a tattoo because the world of tattoo designs for women is growing at a super fast pace. In fact female tattoo designs are growing faster then any other segment of the industry. Thus has lead to a lot of new developments in tattoo designs for women. One of those is the use of traditional Japanese tattoo designs.

Cool Japanese Shirt Sleeve Tattoo Designs

For men, it is important to have a tattoo that is unique, different, at the same time cool. More popular designs include dragons, flames and skulls for sleeve tattoo designs. If you want something a little more different, don't go to these generic and common tattoo subjects! Why won't you get yourself a Japanese sleeve tattoo instead?

Here are some popular subjects of Japanese shirt sleeve tattoo designs:

Koi fish - Koi fish are beautiful and vibrant. They look great for sleeve tattoo designs! The contrasting vibrant oranges and deep blue water hues are perfect. Make your Koi fish tattoo three dimensional and with color... this way, it will really feel like the fish is about to pop out from your skin!

Dragons - Japanese dragons sometimes look more fierce and vicious than their European counterparts. You can have a fierce dragon tattooed black or red in your sleeve. Dragons are mystical, magical, and the perfect symbol of strength and power.

Samurai warriors - Samurais are exclusive to the Japanese culture. Samurais are very popular in Japanese tattoo art and traditional art. They symbolize courage, strength and honor too. You can have a samurai tattooed on your sleeve, in honor of the beautiful Japanese culture.

Hannya masks - This is the least common Japanese tattoo, although it doesn't mean that it's the least stunning of them all. Hannya masks were once used in Kabuki plays in Tokyo, Japan. Although they are hauntingly beautiful, Hannya masks can be hard to be made as a full sleeve tattoo design. You can however incorporate other Japanese designs, styles and symbols onto it.

Japanese Tattoo Art

The Japanese tattoo art have gone a long way in such a way that it passed several transition period in the history of Japan. There are other names associated to the art of tattoo making. Irezumi means that a visible tattoo is covering the large part of your body, such as your back. If you are interested to adorn your body with Japanese tattoos, it would be ideal if you know also its history and meaning.

Japanese Symbols Used in Kanji Tattoos

The origin of Japanese Symbols or Japanese Kanji are the Chinese characters which are used in modern day Japanese logo-graphic writing together with Hiragana and Katakana Symbols which form the architecture and foundation of the Japanese Language System. In Japanese, the term Kanji simply means "Han characters".

Flower Tattoo Designs - The Most Stylish Japanese Art

Flower Tattoos are more popular than any other Japanese tattoo. It's not just art; flower tattoos reflect a mood or personality or certain association with nature. Of all the forms of Japanese tribal tattoo art, these are the most beautiful and convey an ever lasting impression to their near and dear ones.

Flower tattoos carry a sense of femininity and thus they are exclusively adored by women population. Most of the Hollywood celebrities including Angelina Jolie, Drew Barrymore, Pamela Anderson, Cher, Salma Hayek, Shakira, Britney Spears, Anna Kournikova etc prefer Japanese flower tattoo art.

It may be due to their color, shape and aroma; Flower Tattoos are very much symbolic and thus carry a strong sentiment of feminism. Depending upon your taste and flavor, you can pick one or more of the different varieties of flower designs. Of all the flower art tattoo, Hawaiian, lotus, hibiscus, lily, tropical tattoo designs are widely popular.

These flower tattoo designs simply mark a stylish image for you. Gone are the days when the tattoos were adored only by princess and queens. But it has become more fashionable now. They are flaunted by rock stars, cinema celebrities, fashion models, sports icons, and college going girls and even by teens. All in one, the flower tattoo art symbolizes love, pure heart, innocence, beauty, passion and many more.

You won't get disappointed. There are so many flowers and thus so many designs as per your taste. Go ahead and start an exclusive colorful collection of Flower Tattoo Designs.

Japanese Sleeve Tattoo Designs

Japanese sleeve tattoos with its rich and intricate details combined with bright colors are extremely popular among tat enthusiasts. It's becoming a mainstream and are not only getting attention from the males but with females as well. Being very exquisite and decorative, tattooing this theme can take a lot of time, even multiple session thus it can be expensive. However, the idea of sporting an aesthetically pleasing tattoo art on your arm can be really rewarding making it so much worth in the end.

Japanese Dragon Tattoo Designs and Meaning

The Japanese Dragon Tattoo is a very beautiful and colorful tattoo design and very symbolic, with its origins in myths and folklore. It is also very mystical, adding to the appeal of the Japanese dragon tattoo. Over the ages, from Egyptian times the dragon has represented good and also represented evil. However, the attraction of the Japanese dragon, apart from its stunning beauty is that it represents good luck and the source of wealth. The Japanese dragon also represents the meaning of freedom and being fearless, both very attractive qualities.

In the Greek language, dragon is sourced from draca, which means serpent.

Like the angel, the Japanese Dragon also has the meaning of guardianship, providing a protective force over those it was associated with. Other meanings associated with the Japanese dragon is strength and power. In Japanese culture the dragon is associated with supernatural powers, and amazing wisdom.

There are six forms of the Japanese Dragon. They are:

Sui-Riu is the king Dragon and is in control of the rain. Therefore in this day and age of drought he is all powerful!

Han-Riu has many stripes on his body and is up to forty feet in length. One of the biggest dragons.

Ri-Riu dragon is a rare breed that is not well understood. However, it is known that they have amazing eye sight.

Ka-Riu is a brilliant red color, and a petite dragon in comparison with the others.

Fuku-Riu is a favorite dragon of many people as it is the dragon of luck.

Hai-Riyo is known as the dragon bird, and the most advanced form of dragon. It evolved out of Chinese mythology.

The colors of the dragons have special significance, which are based on their parents. For example a dragon with a black color means their parents are very old and wise. Green dragons are smaller than average, but are representative of life and of the earth. Gold colored dragons are special because they have many special attributes such as wisdom, kindness and the ability to face challenges head on.

Yellow dragons represent the east. They are great companions when you need a hand, but can be self absorbed at times. Blue dragons are from the west. They are forgiving and compassionate, but on the negative side can be lazy and uncaring when it suits them.

Finding the right Japanese Tattoo Design for you can be quite daunting. Check out all the free sites on the net to get as many ideas as you can. Just remember that many other people have done the same thing to get ideas. For example, last month, over 41,000 people searched for dragon tattoo designs on Yahoo. Apparently, roughly 8 times that amount check out Google for the same search term. Then there is MSN and the other search engines. So a huge amount of people see the same free designs as you. If you want original Japanese Dragon tattoo designs, it is recommended that you check out books or other sources of tattoo designs that are not freely available. I have checked out three Japanese dragon tattoo galleries on the internet that have from 3,500 to 6000 different designs, so you will have no trouble finding what you want.

Koi Tattoo Meaning and Symbolism - The Rich History of Japanese Tattoo Designs

One of the most popular trends and designs in the world of tattoos right now are koi fish tattoos. It is pretty obvious to see why these designs are so sought after. They are deeply symbolic, mysterious and beautiful all at the same time. They are bright and colorful and when they splash in the blue water behind them they can make for a dynamic tattoo that is full of power, symbolism and movement. If you are considering getting a koi tattoo design then you should really know what the symbolism and meaning is behind them first.

The Story

The koi have long been a part of the Japanese life. At almost every temple and sacred place there is a small koi pond. The koi also know as Carp fish is known throughout China and Japan. Originally the story came from Buddhist teachings in Chine where it was believed the koi fish would swim upstream and go against the current and even up a waterfall. The myth states that any koi fish that could swim up the Yellow river and up the waterfall at the mythical place called Dragon Gate would then turn into a dragon. Therefore in China the koi fish would stand for strength and power and advancement. This same idealism was adopted throughout Japan. It was adopted in Japan to such a degree that it has become a part of their daily life and ritual. In fact large flags of koi fish are flown on Boy's Day to celebrate the strength, energy and power that boys should posses.

The Meaning And Symbolism

The meaning of this symbol has become so much that it can be hard to communicate it in one paragraph. It can stand for many different things. For example on Boy's Day in Japan a group of at least four koi fish and often flown together on a flag pole. Thus the fish can be thought of as a symbol of for family strength and unity. Since the legend states that koi fish would swim up stream it has also symbolic of power, struggle and overcoming the odds in life. In the same vein it is also a symbol of courage. The Japanese believe that the koi fish is so courageous that when it is caught and put on the cutting board to be killed it doesn't quiver like other fish but it bravely accepts it death and its fate as a person especially someone with a Samurai spirit should accept their life and its short falls.

Other people might ascribe different meanings to it as the design since it is so sought after and regarded so highly throughout Japan it has become a symbol for everything good, strong and powerful . It therefore make a great tattoo design.

History of Japanese tattooing

History of Japanese tattooing

Archeologists concluded that tattoos started from early settlers in Japan or the so called "Ainu" tribe. Back to the early civilization, tattoos were used as facial identities. This is how people determined what tribe they belonged and what tradition they performed. Japanese tattoo art has been present for around centuries. But as years passed, simple tattoo designs turned into innovative and meaningful images. Aside from flowers and dragons, Japanese are now featuring endless choices including heroes and weapons used in wars.

Japanese Tattoo Designs For Women

In recent years, there has been a revival with Japanese tattoos. This revival is understandable, as Japanese artwork can be very beautiful. Some of it can be traced back for thousands of years! These days, they are popular for both men and women. If you are a woman who is interested in Japanese tattoo designs, here are some tips that will help you with your choice.

The Mystical Japanese Tattoo Symbols

Due to the popularity of body art many art lovers have tried to ink the Japanese tattoo symbols in their body. During the early years, when you are in Japan, you would have tattoos of the people you would think that are associated to Yakuza, which is known to be a group of notorious Japanese criminals. But over the years, Japan has developed and the significance of body art is greatly appreciated. Presently, both the tattoo lovers and tattoo artists find the Japanese symbols attractive.

Japanese Tattoos - A Brief History

One very famous tattooist from the Edo period is Horiuno. Horiuno was born in 1843. He became a tattooist at the age of 20. But before beginning to work full time from his age of 40, he travelled extensively throughout Japan, going from place to place like Osaka, Kyoto and Shizuoka. However, he continued doing his business well into his seventies and much of his work can be seen even today. Most of his customers used to work in the local construction and manufacturing industries, and in 1912, some of these people of the Kanda area formed the Kanda Choyu-kai, meaning "Tattoo Friends Society of Kanda", and after another 10 years, the society was extended to outside the Kanda area, and formed the Edo Choyu-kai.