ORIENTAL TATTOO DESIGN

The Kofun Period (A.D. 300-600)

During this period tattoo transformed and documented meanings emerged. Though the tattoo had been in the previous history of Japan the meanings associated with tattoo had not been found in the historical documentation. Here we begin to see written works depicting what the meanings and practices of tattoo during this period. The references are taken by the literature written during the eighteenth century referring back to the Kofun period. Five passages, two from Kojiki, and three from Nihon Shoki are important references about tattooing McCallum argues. The Kojiki "refers to a tattoo on a man of very high status- 'strange,' but again not criminal. On the other hand, the three later accounts are clearly associated with crime. The first of these (Nihon Shoki) refers to a case of treason, with the usual death penalty being commuted to the lesser penalty of tattooing.