Japanese tattoos

Japanese tattoos are called horimono. This art form became popular with the working classes in the latter half of the Edo Period (in the 18th century). As the common people rejected the old Confucian beliefs of the Samurai, they began to enjoy novels, drama, songs and theatre. The Japanese tattoos were styled after woodcut prints of heroes in the books and publications of that time, and themes were based in human experience and feeling. Some common motifs in Japanese tattoos are koi fish, tigers, dragons, phoenix, and lotus flowers.