Dragon vs Lion on Circle Tattoo

Horse tattoo

WIngs tattoo Design

Japanesse tattoo design

Traditional 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. Kanji characters are also used as pictograms to tell a story, similar to Egyptian use of hieroglyphics.