Have tattoos been common among Japanese people since ancient times? When did the current tattoo culture disappear? fashion?
2024-01-07
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Japan has had a tattoo culture since ancient times.
You may hear people say that Japan does not have a culture of tattooing, but tattooing is actually an ancient Japanese culture. In Gishi Wajinden, it is written that Wa people liked tattoos, and both men and women had tattoos on their faces and all over their bodies. People in China and the peninsula don't have tattoos. It is said that these things are not done due to Confucianism. This is not a recommendation. People who don't want to don't have to.
Influence from southern Asia?
Many cultures were introduced to Japan from southern China, and there were people living in what is now Southeast Asia in the southern part. The method of preserving fish in vinegared rice, which is the origin of sushi, is said to have come from Southeast Asia, where tattoos are common. Sake is said to have originated from southern China's Shaoxing wine, which was originally made from sake-brewing technology that was brought to Japan. Northern China has a field farming culture, and southern China has a rice farming culture.
Tattoos that have been banned since the Meiji era
Tattoos began to be banned in Japan due to the influence of Confucianism. Even so, Toyama Kinshiro Kagemoto of Toyama Kin-san had a tattoo. Even judges had tattoos back then. It is said that tattoos were completely banned after the Meiji Restoration. The reason is for westernization. Even in the West, some people got tattoos, but they were only one-point tattoos, and they were not tattoos that covered the entire body like in Japan at the time. Amid these regulations, Japan's tattoo culture was inherited by the world of chivalry.
Read it together
Sphinx and Nagaoki Ikeda. Samurai takes a commemorative photo of Egypt and visits the Suez Canal
Mysterious group of samurai in front of the Sphinx
Goes to France to apologize for Idogaya Incident
The Suez Canal is a huge waterway for the colonization of Asia
Edo shogunate that canceled the Paris Agreement
Edo shogunate's country opening theory
The first photo was taken by a samurai in front of the Sphinx in Egypt. It is often introduced as a humorous image. In the scorching heat of Egypt, wearing a crested hakama seems to convey the heat. The second photo is Nagafuku Ikeda, a foreign magistrate of the Edo Shogunate who was participating in this group.
In 1863, the Idogaya Incident occurred in Japan, where three ronin, believed to be members of the Joi group, murdered a French military officer near Yokohama. A 34-person delegation, including Nagafatsu Ikeda, traveled to France to apologize and make peace with the incident.
The group arrived in Paris, had an audience with Emperor Napoleon III, apologized to the French government for the incident, and paid 195,000 francs in support to the family.
The 34-member delegation arrived in Cairo from Suez via India from Shanghai on their way to Paris, where they posed for a commemorative photo in front of the Sphinx. This is a picture of a samurai in front of the Sphinx.
The Suez Canal is an bypass built by France to allow ships from Europe to go to Asia without passing through Cape Hope at the southern tip of Africa. Ikeda and his colleagues inspected it.
Afterwards, reconciliation with France was reached in Paris, and the group, recognizing the power of Western civilization, signed the Treaty of Paris, which promised the opening of three ports, including Yokohama, as free ports.
The Edo shogunate ordered a mission to negotiate the closure of Yokohama Port, but this was difficult due to French resistance. Nagafuku Ikeda, seeing the strength of Western culture, abandoned negotiations and concluded the Treaty of Paris.
After returning to Japan, Nagafuku Ikeda appealed to the shogunate about the importance of opening the country, but it was not accepted, and the shogunate, which had a policy of closing ports, canceled the Treaty of Paris, and as punishment, Ikeda's stone allowance was cut in half. Although Ikeda was later forgiven and returned to politics, he soon resigned from his post and died at the age of 42. What kind of truth did Ikeda see during this trip?
Ikeda Nagafuku, as a member of the Edo Shogunate, called for the opening of the country. He was a member of the shogunate, which was on the opposite side of Sakamoto Ryoma, Katsu Kaishu, and Saigo Takamori, who started the Meiji Restoration. It can be said that the scale of the Western Industrial Revolution was shocking.
The Meiji Restoration side looked overseas and considered the future of Japan, but the Edo shogunate tried to maintain isolation and the shogunate system. Ikeda, who saw the West with his own eyes, felt the same feeling as the young people on the Meiji Restoration side.
Enactment of the Organized Crime Countermeasures Act
Due to this background, tattoos came to be considered anti-social forces. This is now called Japanese culture. Furthermore, in Japan, the anti-organized crime law was enacted in １９９２, placing significant restrictions on the activities of anti-social forces in general society, and these groups are currently on the decline, with public baths now being sought after in the city. You no longer see people who were once members of organized crime groups.
Public baths where you cannot enter if you have a tattoo
Young people in Japan now have tattoos as a fashion item. In other words, they seem to be trying to create their own individuality by drawing something on their bodies, just like the Japanese of old. The pattern is a so-called tattoo that looks good on clothes. Tourists coming from foreign countries are told that if they have a tattoo, they won't be able to go to the traditional Japanese hot springs that they were looking forward to, so they wrap them in some kind of cloth to hide it, but they are told that the cloth is also bad. It seems that there are cases where the application is refused. On the contrary, it is said that young Japanese people with tattoos cannot go to hot springs, which is a part of Japanese culture.
Is it OK for men to take women's baths?
You may be wondering what I'm trying to say, but Japanese people need to protect the culture of public baths, which is unique to Japan, in a healthy manner. Nowadays, it seems that men who are women at heart are thinking about how to bathe women.
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Japanese food culture favoring raw food - A unique food culture in the world is supported by soy sauce.
Japanese food culture of eating raw fish
Unique Japanese soy sauce
Relationship between soy sauce and raw dishes
Soy sauce creates Japanese food culture
The Japanese people are said to have a unique culture of eating raw fish, and their food culture, typified by sushi, is being introduced to the world. If you think about it carefully, even Japanese people do not eat sashimi as is. If you don't use soy sauce, the sashimi will just be fishy and dry and you won't be able to eat it, and conversely, you won't use anything other than soy sauce for sashimi. Japanese people might think that American sushi uses mayonnaise or chili sauce, which completely eliminates the flavor of the ingredients.
If you think about it that way, soy sauce exists in many Asian countries, but Japanese soy sauce is also uniquely Japanese. One of the basics of Japanese cuisine is ``sashisu seso,'' which means sugar, salt, vinegar, soy sauce, and miso. These are used as the base flavor of various Japanese dishes. Many people may have noticed the smell of soy sauce at the airport when they returned to Japan from overseas.
Soy sauce is an essential seasoning for Japanese cuisine. Japan seems to be a rare country where people eat raw eggs. What I realized is that even Japanese people do not eat raw eggs as is. You can eat it for the first time by putting it on rice and pouring soy sauce on it.
In Japan, there is a culture of eating raw vegetables. Even in the West, we eat fresh raw vegetables such as salads. On the other hand, in China there is no culture of eating raw vegetables. From a Chinese perspective, it's hard to eat raw vegetables. You may be thinking.
In any case, it can be said that the culture of eating raw fish and raw eggs was first established in Japan with soy sauce. Soy sauce is used in all Japanese cuisine to enhance the flavor of the ingredients without overpowering them. It can be said that foreigners visiting Japan are experiencing the natural flavor of fish brought out by Japanese soy sauce.
The fact that Japanese people prefer raw ingredients is actually deeply connected to the invisible seasoning called soy sauce. Conversely, Japanese soy sauce is almost always used when eating raw ingredients. On the other hand, I feel that no matter how many other seasonings you use in the world, you can't make raw fish or raw eggs delicious.
The legendary drama 'Oshin' is very popular overseas and was broadcast in 68 countries and regions | viewership rating in Egypt was 80%, and in Iran it was 90%.
Legendary drama broadcast in 68 countries and regions around the world
Singapore and Egypt record 80% viewership
90% viewer rating in Iran, chosen as the ideal woman
Also broadcast in China, but in Korea...
Oshin achieved great achievements in Cool Japan
"Oshin" was a hit not only in Japan but also in many countries overseas, and it is surprising how many countries and regions it was aired in. It was broadcast in 68 countries and regions.
"Oshin" is a hit NHK drama that aired for one year from 1983. This is the story of a young girl who leaves her home as a servant and goes through various hardships to live and succeed in the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa eras, and is a vivid depiction of life in Japan's poor rural villages at the time. Oshin was written by Sugako Hashida, and became her most famous work.
In Japan, it has recorded an astonishing average viewership rating of 52.6% and a maximum viewership rating of 62.9%, which is the highest viewership rating ever for a TV drama. Sugako Hashida has worked on countless works including "Wataru Sekai wa Oni Dake", NHK TV drama series, and taiga dramas.
The first overseas broadcast recorded an audience rating of 80% in Singapore and 80% audience rating in Egypt. When the drama begins, everyone goes home. A power outage occurred during the broadcast and the broadcast was interrupted. Angry Egyptians who cannot watch the drama storm the broadcasting station and riots ensue. In addition, large quantities of food have been sent to broadcast stations to feed poor people.
In Iran, 90% audience rating was recorded. When asked on a radio broadcast who the ideal woman is, Oshin is chosen over Supreme Leader Khomeini's daughter. This became a major problem and led to the dismissal of four people in charge of the radio station. In addition, when asked who the ideal next leader of the country would be, Oshin, who is not a Muslim, was ranked 4th .
Oshin is famous in China as Asin, and the audience rating in Beijing at the time of the broadcast was 75.9%. China was an enemy country in the past, with whom she fought a war, but when she saw Oshin, tears covered her eyes. Many say that the image of Japan has changed. It was rebroadcast in China in 2007.
As you can imagine, is unfortunately not broadcast in Korea. The 1998 Japan-Korea Joint Declaration lifted the ban on Japanese dramas and culture in South Korea, but for some reason Oshin is not being broadcast. This may be the drama that most people don't want to see because it changes the image of Japan.
Currently, various Japanese contents such as anime are exported overseas under the framework of Cool Japan, but in the 1980s, a full-length TV novel with 297 episodes was broadcast in 68 countries and regions around the world. Even today, this can be considered a great achievement.
After the end of the war, the image of Japan was hardly known overseas, and people were only aware of it as samurai, geisha, and ninja, but Japanese culture, the Japanese way of thinking, and the way of life in Oshin's time were introduced to the world. It happened.
The Korean - Urinara origin theory, which always obstructs Japan's registration of cultural properties, is due to a cultural desert that does not know the meaning of culture.
South Korea always obstructs Japanese cultural property registration
Karate originated from karate, which was introduced from China
California roll is American sushi
The Gracie family, the strongest jiu-jitsu family
South Korea infuriates Thais
Korea doesn't know the meaning of culture
Japanese washi paper was registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2014. A problem arose at this time. They claimed that the paper-making method came from the Korean peninsula to Japan, so it belonged to Korea, they went around promoting Japan as a thief nation, and they carried out activities to prevent Japan from being registered as a cultural culture. .
The origin of Japanese paper dates back to China. The manufacturing method and quality of washi paper have evolved uniquely in Japan. It goes without saying that UNESCO registered Japanese washi paper in accordance with international common sense.
Karate is a Japanese martial art. The Chinese martial art was transmitted from China to Okinawa as karate, and in Japan it evolved in its own way and became a form of karate. This is a story that many Japanese people know. Conversely, karate does not exist in China. This is because China is developing Chinese martial arts.
There is a type of sushi in America called the California roll. It's a sushi roll made with avocado and mayonnaise. There are probably few Japanese people who think of that as sushi. Even if California Roll were to be registered as an intangible cultural heritage, I don't think there would be any Japanese people who would complain. I would rather support it.
Korea claims that Japanese culture originated in Korea. Other traditions such as samurai, geisha, tea ceremony, and judo are also said to have originated in Korea.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the practice of the Gracie family, who studied and developed Japanese Jiu-Jitsu. However, I have never seen a Japanese person claim that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is Japanese. That belongs to the Gracie family.
South Korea infuriated Thais by claiming that Muay Thai in Thailand also originated from South Korea. Thai people are an ethnic group that historically lived in southern China, and we imagine that they are the origin of Chinese martial arts and Indian martial arts (there are no concrete records). However, Muay Thai is neither a Chinese nor an Indian martial art. Muay Thai is a Thai martial art and the national sport of Thailand.
In order for a culture to develop, it is necessary at least to have the imagination to imagine how many people, how much time and effort it took to develop it and establish it as the culture of that country.
This is a matter of understanding and respecting culture and tradition. In fact, because they lack such effort and experience, South Korea seems to easily claim that other countries' cultures are of their own origin.
When Koreans became enraged over China's claim that kimchi originated from Chinese foam cabbage, it sparked a controversy and was ridiculed by China as a sign of a cultural complex.
The Rose of Versailles is a Japanese work that was a big hit in Western Europe - Lady Oscar in France.
Beautiful Oscar in male clothing
A fictional story that doesn't exist
The Rose of Versailles became very popular in Europe
The royal family was the axis of opposition to democracy
Japanese culture focuses on the enemy
Former President Moon Jae-in says South Korea started the French Revolution
The Rose of Versailles is a manga that was serialized from 1972 to 1973. It was adapted into a stage play by the Takarazuka Revue Company and became a big hit, attracting attention and being made into an anime. The story takes place on the eve of the French Revolution. The main character, Oscar, is a woman, and as a beautiful woman dressed as a man, she is beautiful and strong, and is as good as any man. She later serves as the commander of Marie Antoinette's bodyguard when she is executed.
This is a work that frankly depicts his relationship with Andre, a man who is in love with Oscar, and his personal and romantic relationship with Marie Antoinette, who is protected by Oscar. What is surprising is that the main characters Oscar and Andre in the worldview of this magnificent work do not actually exist.
As you know, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were publicly executed by guillotine during the French Revolution. In other words, this work depicts the French royal family, who were the enemy of the people at the time. The animated work has been broadcast in Europe and is extremely popular. Of course, it was also very popular in France.
This work was created by Japan, an island nation in the East that has little cultural or historical contact with the West. On the other hand, if a Westerner created a work depicting the Edo period, would it be appealing to Japanese people?
The French Revolution was a major event that transformed France into democracy, and had the energy to change world history. In that sense, the French royal family at the time could be said to be war criminals in World War II and Hitler in Germany.
Steven Spielberg's ``Schindler's List'' is a work that depicts the human condition from the perspective of Hitler and the Nazis. In other words, The Rose of Versailles can be said to be a magnificent piece of work that shines a spotlight on what is considered evil in history.
Why don't the Korean people, who have the highest human rights consciousness in the world, condemn works such as Schindler's List and The Rose of Versailles? The Korean people who are familiar with the Nazis and Jews should be educating the people of the world. Former President Moon Jae-in told former President Macron that ``Korea started the French Revolution'' regarding the impeachment of Park Geun-hye.
A celebration of shadows, a blend of Japanese and Western Japan.The continent abolished writing and destroyed its past.A completely different approach to history.
Japanese culture and shadow worship
Beautiful Japanese lacquerware in the dim light
Japanese aimed for balance and harmony
What was done on the continent was the denial of the past
Kanji abolished in Korea
The introduction of simplified Chinese makes it difficult to read the past
If you can't read past documents, you can't read history
Learn ancient Japanese and Chinese texts
A continent that burns the past and creates history
Japan's imperial family continued to exist
When I think about Japanese culture, I sometimes think of Junichiro Tanizaki's ``In Praise of Shadows.'' He remembers that during his junior high school Japanese class, he encountered some difficult sentences and had trouble understanding them. He talked about how you can rediscover the wonders of Japanese culture by learning about the background in which that culture was born.
Japanese lacquerware is based on black, and Japanese lacquerware was created in an era without electricity to create a beautiful appearance on a dimly lit dining table lit by candles. It was explained that.
White plates and glass cups became prized, perhaps because black dishes didn't look good in the light of a light bulb. However, if you eat on Japanese tableware in the dim darkness of candlelight, you will notice something beautiful about it.
To put it simply, in Japan there is a term called fusion of Japanese and Western styles. During the Meiji and Taisho eras, a large amount of Western culture flowed into Japan, but the Japanese strived to balance and harmonize with Japan's ancient culture. This is inheritance based on compatibility and harmony.
Yukichi Fukuzawa described Western culture as being like an epidemic. He preached that resisting these things would not prevent them from becoming infected, so we needed to think in terms of accepting them.
Japan sought compatibility and harmony not only in vessels and cultural customs, but also in the letters and documents that conveyed them.
On the other hand, what happened on the continent seems to be different. What is China's Cultural Revolution? In introducing socialism and communism, it was a movement to destroy the historical Chinese culture that they were proud of, and they actually destroyed cultural properties and slaughtered the people who had protected them.
What about in Korea? After becoming an independent country after the war, in 1948, it was decided that official documents should be written in Hangul under the Hangul Special Law, and in 1970, the abolition of Chinese characters was declared, and Chinese characters began to disappear from textbooks one after another. It seems that there is no problem with using Hangul as the national script, but by abolishing Hanja, it became impossible to read past documents. Efforts to abolish writing are incomprehensible to Japanese people.
The same meaning applies to simplified characters (current Chinese characters that have been simplified and symbolized), which were introduced during China's Cultural Revolution. By replacing Traditional Chinese (old Chinese characters) with simplified Chinese, people who received subsequent schooling were unable to read documents written in Traditional Chinese in the past.
Currently, traditional Chinese characters are used in Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. This was because he wanted to be influenced by the Cultural Revolution.
Particularly in South Korea, historical perceptions change so freely that one major reason can be said to be the inability to approach past documents.
Documents from the Japanese colonial period and even earlier were written in Chinese characters, and modern Koreans are unable to read any of them. You probably don't even want to read it. Does it mean that history does not already exist in documents?
As an Asian, this is truly deplorable and pitiful. Is it possible to foster national consciousness and culture in this way? Both of these are unthinkable in Japan.
Japan continued to utilize the writings of the past, reinforcing the sounds with hiragana called Manyogana and inventing Japanese writing.
Texts from the past also have different phrasing and adjectives, so in Japanese education, we study classical and Chinese texts and try to read past documents. This is to experience the way of thinking and cultural customs of Japanese people who lived in the past.
To begin with, the history of the continent is one in which kings kill other kings due to wars, and dynasties change. At that time, many things built by past dynasties will be destroyed, creating a structure in which a good king reigns after defeating a bad king. At that time, something called ``book burning'' is performed. Documents from the previous dynasty were burned and destroyed. The destruction and fabrication of history is not new.
The only dynasty in Japan exists outside of the imperial family, and the Japanese imperial family has been protected and maintained through all eras. The Japanese never thought of abolishing the imperial family in any social change. For this reason, we can know that Japan existed with the Emperor even during the #Imperial Era.
In other words, the continent's approach to the past and Japan's approach to the past are fundamentally different.
