Irezumi Series - Part 1 - “Yamato Damashii“

I have done numerous searches for Japanese tattoos, or “Irezumi“ on Youtube in the past, and there was very little available on the subject. To counteract this void of information, I have decided to make a few detailed videos on the subject. Yamata Damashii is the first. Featuring the detailed works of Hokuoh the first. The “FIRST“ after his name indicates that he is the first generation to tattoo in his family. Should one of his children follow in his occupational footsteps, they will take the title “Hokuoh the second“ and so on. The images are taken from a limited edition book I purchased a few years back. There are only 1500 copies of this book published, so I decided to share it with others, as the opportunity to view these images otherwise is nearly impossible. As it is forbidden for the Yakuza (by the Yakuza) to show their tattoos in public, it is a very rare opportunity to make a close and detailed examination of such artwork. The men you see i