Getting a tattoo has become extremely popular in recent years in the U.S., especially among younger people. The idea is to be different in some way. Kanji tattoos have also become popular because they are different. Kanji symbols are basically Chinese characters that are put together in a way to have a special meaning in Japanese, so to be correct these are Japanese tattoos. These tattoos are ideographic characters. Each character represents an entire object or idea. The whole tattoo consists of ideas combined to have a specific meaning. Before you decide to consider kanji tattoos, you should know that some of the ideographic characters can have up to as high as 30 strokes. You may want to select a message based upon the number of strokes involved.

Many people who speak English and are not at all familiar with Japanese or Chinese characters have to rely on a expert translator to help them get the correct characters for their kanji tattoos. Be careful not to just get characters off the Internet and run out and get your tattoo done. Sometimes Japanese characters and pronunciations can be similar but have completely different meanings. Be sure before you get a permanent tattoo that you have the exact meaning that you want. Although tattoos can be removed sometimes, it is not an easy or cheap process.

Kanji tattoos can be made to express about anything you want them to. Some of the most popular tattoo expressions are provided below:

Ambition                                Wisdom           Desire
Belief                                     Zen                 Courage
Buddhism                              Victory             Bravery
The Code of Samurai            Truth               Beauty
Dragon                                  Success          Strength
Freedom                                Soul
God                                       Secret
Honor                                    Respect
Justice                                   Promise
Love                                      Power
Nature                                   Peace
Passion                                 Ocean
Perfect                                  Moon
Pride                                     Loyalty
Rainbow                                Legend
Samurai                                Illusion
Sky                                       Hope
Star                                      Happiness
Spirit                                    Friendship
Sun                                      Eternity
Universe                              Dream

Remember that symbols can be combined to send a specific message. One thing that many English speaking people mistakenly think about kanji tattoos is that they can translate an English message exactly into Kanji. This is not the case. Kanji is more a language of pictures rather than letters. Many people do not do their homework on the translation and sometimes find out after they already have their tattoos that they do not mean what they originally thought they did. It is a good idea to talk to someone who speaks Japanese as their native language so that you get the correct message when you go to the tattoo parlor.

Kanji tattoos seem to be the most popular Japanese language tattoos with Westerners. They can be very colorful and exotic looking. Kanji can be incorporated into a larger message on the back for example. They kind of tell a story with pictures. They can also have a very simple message and cover a smaller area of the body. Many people decide to have tattoos done that are hidden under clothing, while others send a visual message that covers a large part of their bodies. Many of the messages that are sent with kanji tattoos are more general in nature, rather than a specific message. The characters are not translated exactly into specific English words. That is why it is recommended that you get some professional help with the translation of the tattoo you are planning to use.

I just came across a great book on kanjii tattoos titled Designing with Kanji: Japanese Character Motifs for Surface, Skin & Spirit.  This book not only provides Kanji translations of common words, it also provides historical information on tribal tattoos.

The reason tattoo types like Kanji is so popular probably deals with the fact that there's some mystery around the symbolism of the tattoos.  When you look at someone's Kanji tattoos you don't know the meaning of the symbols you're looking at.  There's a mystery surrounding the designs which transfers over to the wearer.  It can also be a great conversation piece.  Additionally, the symbol can mean something for the wearer that's personal to them.

If you like Kanji tattoos I think you'll love this book.

This hub will provide a large variety of kanjii symbols that can be used for tattoos. Feel free to save them to your computer, print them, and take them to your tattoo artist.

It's important to choose tattoos that have a meaning to YOU. It's our goal to provide kanjii symbols and characters that meet that need. Feel free to email us if you have a special request. We'll do our best to find the symbol for you!