Uncovering the Rich History, Culture, and Design of Japanese Tattoos

Sergio: Very well

Canada on Sep 17, 2023

JN: Great read! Very detailed with many illustrations! 5/5 recommend

United States on Sep 10, 2023

LUIS: Great contents and images

Mexico on Jul 22, 2023

Ayla Gearhart: I got this as a gift for a friend that offers to do tattoos for friends. He seems to love it and he's really excited to read it. The cover did come a little bent on the back corner but otherwise seemed fairly solid.

United States on Feb 25, 2023

Dillon: It will delight you with insight and detailed descriptions of all things japanese tattoo from cover to cover. Do yourself a favor and put it in your cart now.

United States on Jan 16, 2023

Gareth Dean: I like Japanese tattoos and wanted to get a full sleeve. I wanted to buy a book that had some ideas in and this book has loads. It also has information on the meanings of the tattoos and the history about Japanese tattoo culture. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes Japanese tattoos who is thinking of getting one.

United Kingdom on Sep 08, 2022

Christopher Vasey: This book has something for everyone interested in Japanese tattoos, history, symbolism, comparisons of different styles. The pictures used are excellent examples and showcase fantastic colors and techniques.

I bought this to help me understand the history of Japanese tattooing in order to plan a sleeve for myself. I didn't want to get a sleeve that went against the traditional meanings and pairings in Japanese tattooing. I highly recommend this book to anyone considering getting a Japanese tattoo, especially a bigger piece.

United States on Mar 21, 2022

Lucas: Conteúdo do livro é sensacional, com páginas muito bem feitas, uma ótima publicação. Ótimo start pra quem quer conhecer o Irezumi como arte e sua importância na tatuagem moderna.

Brazil on Nov 11, 2021

Johan Dietvorst: Really useful and fun to read/study. Have read it four times already.

Netherlands on Sep 29, 2021

Kate M.Kate M.: Japanese Tattoos: History * Culture * Design

​In his fourth book, Japanese Tattoos: History * Culture * Design, Brian Ashcraft teams up with Osaka artist Hori Benny to tackle a traditionally dense subject and make it accessible to everyone. While there are other books covering the subject, this is easily the most approachable.

The book is available in digital and paperback formats; for the purposes of this view, I relied mostly on my paperback copy. That said, one advantage of the digital version is that you can zoom in on the photos. However, this doesn't take away from the paperback version, which is printed in full colour on good quality paper.

Inside, the text is immediately engaging. The introduction is extensive, providing background on the history and culture of tattoos, and how the latter has changed. This makes a solid foundation for first chapter, which covers kanji tattoos and takes the reader much further back than they might expect! Did you know that before being used for punishment, tattoos could denote rank, or social status? That they were sometimes used to mark pledges, or to identify fallen warriors? Or maybe you're looking to get a kanji...

United States on Aug 21, 2016