The world of tattoo may seem skin deep but as you dig deeper into it, you will come up with lots of information about the past and interesting anecdotes attached as to why a certain way of tattooing got started. One has to just look at Horimono tattoos and what they mean to know to realize that tattoos have lots of meanings and history attached to them. While some tattoos like the sexy hip tattoo designs for women may seem like they are there only for embellishment that is not the case with other tattoo types.

Horimono Tattoo Designs

Actually one of the best ways to learn about tattoos is to look at the broad tattoo styles that really popular to get a quick grasp on them. These encompass not only those tattoos that have really deep meanings like the tribal tattoos and religious ones but also include lily flower tattoos for girls which have their own design choices and meanings. The thing is when it comes to picking a tattoo design like the Horimono, it is important to know what it means through the history of time.

Actually Horimono tattoos are part of Japanese culture and tattooing started among the Samurai warriors in the 16^th century. The reason for the tattoo was more as a means of identification as often looters would strip corpses in the battle and mangle them beyond recognition. The Samurai would be identified by the tattoo they had on their bodies.

As far as the Horimono tattoo is concerned, it was meant to be a mark that would identify whether you belong to Yakuza or not. Or it could be also used to make you think that a person belonged to the gang. Actually the meaning of the word Horimono is supposed to be surprise and was part of the Yakuza who were part of the Japanese organized crime. This is now used in the modern world to denote the status of a person. The mark they had would identify which clan the person belonged to.

Often having a horimono tattoo is seen as a mark of rebellion and a person having a tattoo is looked down upon in many parts of the country. Even today many establishments in Japan will refuse to serve people who have the mark on them as rebellion is not something that the Japanese support. In case you are looking to get a horimono tattoo done, then you should think twice about it. After all it is not a tattoo that one would get done lightly.

If you are Japanese and feel that you need to honor the culture of your country, you still need to consider all the pros and cons of getting a tattoo that is perceived so severely. Is it then any wonder that many people who do have the Horimono tattoo, go to all sorts of lengths to cover them up and conceal them?

Another thing that you should know about Horimono tattoos is that they are unique and expensive. What is more the process of getting them is really painful too as getting a horimono tattoo is supposed to be a show of your courage and strength. There is no doubt much thought and artistic efforts that go into the making of a horimono tattoo. It also has plenty of history backing it up and can be of much significance to the person getting it. However, in spite of these points in its favor, Horimono tattoos are not for everyone. In case you are thinking of getting one, you should also consider talking to an expert on Japanese culture apart from doing all the regular research that a tattoo entails.