Until Death

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For Horimitsu, the sound of the needles, the painting of the skin is a soft, rhythmic scratching, Like a lonely cricket "Sha , Sha , Sha ".

for 30 years, he is tattooed with the hand in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, in need of nothing More Than ink and a needle-circular saw blades-stick.

By the hand, gods, and monsters come to life on The Backs of the bankers, and band members. Koi carp jump over the limbs.

And today, a jade-green dragon - a symbol of protection against the flame of the torch on the arm of a young firefighter who flew thousands of miles to be here.

Kyle Seeley, 23, is quietly on His back, as The Artist works, skewering His triceps with the perfectly regular jabs. He is with ink from shoulder to wrist; a full case with the big lizard, the peony, the flower of happiness and nobility.

customer Kyle Seeley waits Horimitsu to add color to His Tattoo

There is also a Tattoo artist Back Home in Grande Prairie , Canada. But You don't have what he's looking for: the centuries-old Japanese art of tebori, or the traditional "hand-carved" tattoos.

In The West , a long-standing fascination with this style has become a full-blown trend. Hipsters try to be there for the story: "I went to Japan , the hand tattooed. "For others, it is The Lure of the art that lasts.

"I've heard that the colors of the tebori You stay, the better and more vibrant," says Kyle, who has machine-made designs on His chest, ribs, and sternum.

"In Canadian dollars, it is 500 per Session . (£300; US$374). So a few grand for sure. But I've been saving up for this. "

Horimitsu, His Tattoo artist of choice, has almost 63,000 Instagram followers, and a large, international fan base - including the US singer John Mayer , who claims The Artist gave him a grilling, before You finally found the consent to work on him As You did me? As You know, the person who recommended me?

His latest diary-filler is the Rugby World Cup , hosted in Japan , for Six Weeks from 20 September.

The foreign interest is a lifeline for this ancient art form has waned local enthusiasm, recently. Young Japanese often prefer Western-style, geometric tattoos, with a focus on fine detail.

Tebori artists in General, You take more control over the creative process, and some of these Will only ink the ones that You choose.

Kyle is clearly on Board with this. He went today with no idea what color would be His new dragon. "This is Mitsu-san's art style, and what he thinks would look the best, I want to go with," he smiles.

He shows no signs of pain than a stick with a series of needles, at the end of color slides under The Top layers of His skin. Every 10 seconds, Horimitsu alternately immerse the tool in the ink.

It looks Like it hurt ridiculously, but connoisseurs say, tebori is lighter than bone-shaking machine work.

So on a pain scale of 1-10?

"A three or a four?" says Kyle. "Yes, it is better so. "

Tattoo artists-Horimitsu in His studio in Tokyo

John Mayer says he found himself "hallucinate beautiful, brilliant, hallucinations" during His Time with Horimitsu.

when I ask whether it nods to a post-Tattoo endorphin rush, The Artist emphatically.

"dopamine, adrenaline... I see a lot of customers after the Tattoo ... it is also much more exciting! You lose a wallet, passport, spend a lot of money..."

"Sporting events bring good business'

to avoid that offense, how many associate tattoos with The Yakuza , the Japanese mafia. But for some fans, the warning proved to be more of an inspiration, and You Will be fit corresponds to a Two -hour Tattoo sessions in about.

Many Horimitsu by Mike Derbyshire, the website of Pacific Tattoo Co combines English-speaking customers with Japanese artists.

"We have a Welsh law this period of Time ," he says of rugby.

dragon, probably?

"I think it might be, actually...!"

Sporting events always bring a good business, he says.

"I am to notice a real correlation, as the [Tokyo 2020] Olympics next year, we are asked by people, for The Last year or so, the book about this Time . "

customers who fly frequently around The World

to be tattooed here are Some 60-70% of Horimitsu customer come from Japan , and other tebori Tattoo artists report the same.

"We had guys from Germany, we have guys from the UK all the Time , a lot of Americans... a lot of military personnel from U.S. bases," Mike.

"Business was not great Japanese Tattoo artist in Japan for The Last Time , unless You have to be able to crack the problem of communication. "

part of the problem is a loss of customers. After the Second World War , Japanese tattoos (known as "irezumi") were strongly tied to Japan 's Yakuza crime gangs. For decades, criminals have tattoos got to prove your courage to flaunt their wealth, and they identify with the other Yakuza .

Horimitsu learned His craft by a Japanese Tattoo of "family", where several young apprentices serve a master, often for many years, in a strict feudal environment.

He says, The World of irezumi was the "violence sometimes. Scary. Before You our clients only The Yakuza have been. Until 10 years ago".

Now in Japan , their attitude to the gangs, and the police has been hardened crackdown has squeezed Yakuza membership from a peak 184.000 in the early 1960s, down to 30,500. Those who stay, want to fly under the radar, which means that no large mark.

Yakuza members display their tattoos during a festival in Tokyo

"Some Young People still join The Yakuza , but they are, says a new Generation of smarter than before," Horimitsu. "You have no tattoos. Your business is demanding. [Happens] after the Gulf..."

In the old days, he says, customers with a huge piece of back would begin, and sent to prison, only to return a Decade to finish it.

Asked how he welcomes You back, Oh, he smiles mischievously: "welcome! They seem to be old!"

" No pools, no gym, no Hot Springs ...'

Unfortunately, for Tattoo fans, social behavior in Japan did not catch up with the fact that most of The Yakuza do not want the ink these days.

In the law, it is a grey-area since 2001, as Japan 's Ministry of health decided to class tattooing as a medical procedure - that means that every Tattoo artist who was not a doctor, a qualified, all of a sudden operating illegally.

people with tattoos are often the use of public gyms, swimming pools and onsen, Japan 's Hot Springs is prohibited. Visible body art can also damage to your job prospects in professions such as teaching or Finance

Kyle, could as a cheerful blonde, Canadians do not look less Like a Japanese gangster, is still hit by the ban.

"Even in my hotel. I wanted to go to the Swimming Pool and it was Like uh - uh - there is a sign: "No tattoos. "I don't speak Japanese. But I realize even on the subway, if I have a shirt to wear, people stare at my arm. "

Although it looks terrible, Kyle. describes The Pain of tebori tattooing as a three or four out of 10

Directed negativity at home, but a rock-star reception elsewhere, some of tebori Tattoo artists take their skills overseas

the Kensho II, get that lives His professional name from His master, in Amsterdam.

He says that customers of the hand-in-hand work-approach, come, and be prepared to be patient: A complete piece back 70 hours or more can take, depending on your skin type, body size, and design.

"dragons with the most requests that I get," he says. "I Like it, never boring. Japanese dragon has a lot of history and meaning. Each folk is different. "

But he left Japan , Kensho II holds fast to the tebori tradition.

"All my tebori tools [are] out of me. I think in one of the teachings of Shintoism, [the ancient Japanese religion], "musuhi", which means that all people have the things a soul. Tebori tool is a part of my body and my soul for me. This is why I never sell my instruments. "

Tattoo artist Kensho II says in the Japanese style, the dragons are crazy popular request,

praises Just as Horimitsu His master Horitoshi - "74 and still working -!", Kensho II speaks of His own, with reverence and awe.

"When I started as an apprentice, I was always watching His technique, the study of the history and importance of each theme from the old book, in which he has a lot of. I only slept Two or three hours A Day for three or four years, 'cos I must learn many things.

Horimitsu says he was invited to learn tebori at the age of 20 years only after a visit to His master several times, is tattooed from him, and bring a symbolic gift:

"It would have happened a hundred times already.

art, japan, body art, tattoos

Source of news: bbc.com