Japanese Tattooing: From Edo‑Period Traditions to Working-class Pride

Date
Monday 11 May 2026

Time
6.45pm

Venue
The Swedenborg Society
20-21 Bloomsbury Way (Hall entrance on Barter St)
London WC1A 2TH
[Map]

Booking Details
Free- Booking essential

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In this richly illustrated talk, author and journalist Manami Okazaki will explore the world of Japanese tattooing - one of the most striking, symbolically layered, and complex art traditions.

Drawing on rare access to Japan’s most respected tattoo masters, Okazaki traces the evolution of the craft from its Edo‑period origins to its entanglement with contemporary underground communities. She unpacks the visual language of Japanese ink, where mythological, religious, and folkloric figures are paired with seasonal motifs such as cherry blossoms, peonies, or wind‑tossed waves, each element chosen for its emotional and spiritual resonance.

Through new photography, archival images, and in‑depth interviews, she reveals how apprenticeships are passed through multigenerational tattoo families, how artists refine their techniques and philosophies, and how this private, resilient art form remains deeply connected to downtown Tokyo’s firefighting brigades, festivals, and working‑class pride. As the aesthetics of Japanese tattooing continue to influence global tattoo culture, Okazaki’s research offers a rare, nuanced glimpse into a tradition often hidden from public view.

Manami Okazaki is an author and journalist whose work focuses on Japanese culture, art, crafts, and subcultures. Her latest book, The Japanese Tattoo, Fights and Fires are the Flowers of Edo explores the culture of tattoos within a contemporary context.  Okazaki has researched tattoos in Japan since the early 2000s. Her tattoo-related writing has appeared in the Japan Times, the Wall Street Journal, the South China Morning Post, MSN News, academic journals and documentary projects for national TV networks, as well as fashion and street-culture magazines. She has contributed to many international tattoo magazines, and has presented in tattoo-related events at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Tokyo and Aoyama Gakuin University.  

Images: (Left) - tattoo by Horicho, photographed by Emil Pacha Valencia; (Right) tattoos by Horicho II, photographed by Manami Okazaki. 

Supported by the Toshiba International Foundation (TIFO)

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  If you are not a member of The Japan Society (as an individual or through your employer), please consider becoming a member or making a donation if you can - the recommended donation is £5.