More than Skin Deep: Legacy of Horiyoshi III

The art of Irezumi (入墨), Japanese term for “tattooing”, also literally meaning injection of ink, can be traced back to Japan’s Jōmon period (approximately 10,000 B.C.). The craft of body branding with ink by hand had since then segued through countless social stratas and donned numerous cultural meanings—once recognized as a mark of punishment and later as a status symbol for wealth, then to the more recent years, the tag of the Yakuza—had developed into an art form as we understand today.




Amidst a new tattooing culture in the West, the undisputed tattoo sensei Horiyoshi III (born Yoshihito Nakano at the end of the war in 1946) continues to propagate the tedious and historically laden art of Tebori. Horiyoshi III is the second tattoo artist to be bestowed the honorific title of “Hori” by his master, Yoshitsugu Muramatsu—Horiyoshi of Yokohama. “Hori” stands for “engrave” in Japanese, and Horiyoshi III inherited the creed of Irezumi, now specializes in full body tattoing where only a strip of space is left unmarked down the center of the body.



Just as tattooing was performed two centuries ago, Horiyoshi III’s studio in Yokohama maintains the esoteric tradition of Tebori, tattooing without electric needles. Ink is inserted under the skin with a long needle in a relentless thrusting motion. A full-body tattoo is not just an adornment, but can easily become a lifestyle as it can take up to two years with an hour-long session every week to accomplish the artful body armor.

Other than his techniques, Horiyoshi III keeps his repertoire of tattoos to a strict collection of Japanese traditional motifs such as tenyo, koi and peonies. However, human canvas is not the only medium Horiyoshi III works with—the tattoo master had published various collection of sketches including The Sketches of Horiyoshi III, 36 Ghosts and Dragons. His work had also been featured in a solo exhibition at the Vanilla Gallery earlier this year.



Now, Horiyoshi III is challenging another medium of body decoration—apparel. With the launch of Horiyoshi the Third Clothing and Accessories this Autumn/Winter 2009, many can opt for a less permanent form of donning the masteries and need not sink $20,000 from the bank for a piece.