Irezumi

Irezumi is the Japanese word for tattoo. In English, it is used to talk about many types of Japanese tattoos. It is also used to talk about ways of tattooing people that came from Japanese people, such as the Ainu and Ryukyuan people.
"Irezumi" is not done with any tattoo machines. It is done with metal needles that are put on wooden sticks with silk. It uses a special type of ink called "Nara" ink. Ainu and Ryukyuan tattoos use ink from indigo plants. Making "irezumi" in this way takes a long time. It is also painful to get "irezumi". Tattoos are made by a small number of people named "horishi". "Horishi" usually have apprentices that work with them.
During the Edo period, criminals were given tattoos. Where these tattoos were put was based on what crime someone did. For example, murderers were tattooed on the head. This made tattoos connected to crime in Japan. In the 19th century, the Japanese government made tattoos illegal.