Compare The Tattooing Practice Between Japan And Russia (Essay Sample)

Tattoos
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The culture of Japanese people and Russians vary in a number of ways. These two countries however share a similar practice of tattooing which is performed by individuals to symbolise different statuses and beliefs. This therefore arises the urge to study these two sets of culture to reveal these differences and understand the meaning of the various traditions carried out by the inhabitants of these countries. Tattoos refers to the markings that are engraved on a person’s skin with indelible ink mostly to represent the person’s attitude towards life and can be passed on from generation to generation as a tradition. One of the main reasons why most people engage in this practice is to symbolise their status of criminality and perverseness in society. In japan for instance, the Yakuzas who are believed to be the most notorious people in the country and the worst feared, practice the art of whole body tattooing as a way of showing their commitment to the criminal life. In the book Education: Growing Up in a Criminal Underworld criminality does not always mean that the individuals engage in violent and harmful acts, it is depicted differently as a way that people in the community choose to live by the rules that have been passed out by other members of the society rather than honouring and abiding by state laws. The novel Yakuza Moon: Memoirs of a Gangster's Daughter opens us up to the kind of life that people who have a disposition to crime live. The main character is exposed as a person who tries to rebel against the values of the society where she is brought up by tattooing her body and living a life of crime. She takes all manner of drugs including meth and enjoys her new status where she partners with other notorious people and lives the gangster affiliated lifestyle. She even loses her virginity to one of the gangsters which is an indication of the horrible kind of life that she has chosen.
In both Japan and Russia convicted offenders in jails and prisons are fond of practicing tattooing to indicate their loyalty to certain gangs and their “hard-core” status in criminal endeavours. Many individuals in jails and prisons have ink markings in their body with words or signs engraved that identifies them to certain popular gangs. In Japan for example, loyal members of the yakuza gang have ink markings on their body which are referred to as “irezumis” that differentiates them and set them apart from other gangs. In prison, these members usually stay together and support each other when there is threat to overcome their enemies. Rivalry among gangs is present as they try to compete for followers and other resources in prison such as drugs and mates. In Russia, this situation is also depicted in prisons and gang affiliations are predominant. Gangs such as the Solntsevskaya Bratva are so widespread across the country’s prisons and the members have tattoos in various parts of the body that acts as a symbol of their identity (Lambert & Christ, 2003) Tattoos are viewed as items of honour and a person who accomplishes a given mission is awarded this prestigious item as a way of conferring them a higher and more respected rank. In both Japan and Russia, gang members usually follow a certain code and all members are expected to abide by it. An individual who acts contrary to this code is punished and any ranks conferred can be withdrawn. One of the ways in which this is done is through the removal of a previously awarded prestigious tattoo through painful ways. The main reason behind using painful ways that could even disfigure the skin is to discourage people from deviating from the specified codes and practices of the gang. The Solntsevskaya Bratva for instance punishes individuals who snitch on the activities of the gang to the police or even other gangs.
In both cultures, the practice of punishing individuals through forceful tattooing grew and thrived. In Japan, punishment by tattooing which is referred to as “Bokukei, bokkei” was a very common practice. Individuals who refused to abide by the laws of the gang or the rules that had been set out were tattooed on the face for humiliation. In the Edo period inhabitants of Hiroshima had passed out a policy where perpetrators of certain crimes such as theft and burglary would have their faces tattooed as a corporal punishment (Tendō, 2007). Three strikes or an “x” mark would be engraved on the face of the perpetrator so that the public would be made aware of the criminal capabilities of the individual. In Russia, the Russian mafia also used this practice to those who broke the code of conduct or sided with the authorities. Also, snitches were handed the same punishment in order to humiliate them and make them pay for their unallowable activities. This would also serve to warn others and deter them from acting in a similar way lest they suffer the same fate.
In both of these cultures, wearing unearned tattoos is a crime and punishment is meted to any person who uses some tattoos that are supposed to be of a higher ranker than his. In Russia, anyone found wearing an unearned tattoo could have the tattoo removed and punished for example through thorough beatings and at times rape. In Japan, the Yakuzas also have a conduct that restricts individuals from wearing tattoos which they do not have title to. Punishment is meted through beatings or removal of the tattoo through uncomfortable means. The main reason behind this is to warn people and ensure gang members respect title, authority and rank that is above them and which dictates the do’s and don’ts of the gang. The idea is to show that respect among members should be a top priority and one should give the appropriate respect to people of a higher rank.
Another similarity between Russian and Japanese tattoos is the use of these body markings to represent something that has meaning. As evidenced in the movie The Mark of Cain by Alix Lambert, a convicted prisoner explains that every tattoo needs to have a meaning. One cannot just mark his body to represent nothing. Certain tattoos identifies the kind of felony that the prisoner has been convicted of such as a skull which shows that the person is a murderer and a cross to show that the person is a thief in the law. The Yakuzas of Japan also have tattoos that are engraved to show the type of crime committed and show where one is a repeat offender for certain crimes. In the past, the government of Japan had introduced a practice where convicted prisoners in jail would be tattooed so that upon their release, members of the public would be able made aware of the persons criminal record.
Another similarity between tattooing in Japan and Russia revolves around the illegality of practicing body tattooing in prisons. In both Russia and Japan, it is illegal to carry out tattooing in prisons. For this reason, inmates who are addicted to the practice are forced to device their own methods in order to continue the practice. These methods are thought to be unsafe as they usually involve use of blades, wires and other improvised equipment with no sterilisation material. Since there is no ink in prison, inmates who tattoo usually use molten rubber or melted plastic to create these body impressions. Most criminals in prisons continue with the act of body tattooing even when in prison to document their life experiences while in prison.
A number of differences also exist between these two cultures. One of the major differences that can be noted is the design of tattoos. Traditional Japanese tattoos were mainly animal art such as tigers, snakes and dragons. The designs are also colourful and are usually very elaborate. The designs cover a huge proportion of the body and could extend to cover the whole body. Different types of ink are used to decorate the markings on the body such as orange, red, purple and green, this use of different colours makes these Japanese tattoos appear bright and decorated. On the other hand, Russian tattoos cover a small proportion of the body and the markings are relatively smaller compared to that of their Japanese counterparts. The tattoos could be words such as the name of the gang or symbols to show affiliation to a particular gang (Lilin & Hunt, 2011) The tattoos could also be symbols such as a cross or a skull that shows the crime or felony that has been committed by the individual. Russian tattoos are not very coloured and normally a single colour is used therefore making these tattoos dull compared to those of the Japanese.
Another difference regards the perception of the general public towards these body impressions. In Japan, the traditional Japanese tattoos are viewed as sign of barbaric attitude towards life and people with such tattoos are believed to be members of a crime syndicate and are therefore feared. The Yakuzas who have these tattoos are a large gang that have been known to engage in organized crime such as robbery, kidnappings and even murder. Individuals with traditional tattoos are feared to be related to this cartel and people therefore look at such people with scorn. Where an individual is noticed wearing such a tattoo, they may even be barred from accessing some public facilities such as swimming pools or public gyms (VICE, 2016). In Russia, the level of dislike towards people with tattoos is much less because different people use tattooing for varied reasons. Due to western civilization and its deep rootedness in Russia, many people do not always think that the wearers of tattoos are gang members or gang affiliated since the art of tattooing is well established and even young people have embraced this culture for fashion.
Another major difference between these two cultures pertains the equipment used in tattooing. In Japan, the method used is mainly manual since the person tatt...