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Japanese Tattooists and the British Royal Family During the Meiji Period

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Japanese Tattooists and the British Royal Family During the Meiji Period 8 Japanese Tattooists and the British Royal Family During the Meiji Period NOBORU KOYAMA Prince George (later King George V) being tattooed by Hori Chyo (Chiyo) (Reproduced from George Burchett’s Memoirs of a Tattooist, London, 1958) INTRODUCTION During the Meiji period (1868–1912), five members of the British Royal family visited Japan.1 At least four of them were tattooed in Japan. Techniques of tattooing developed in Japan during the Edo period (1600–1868), particularly in the last years of the Tokugawa Government, 1853–67. Over the course of time, Japanese tattoos became an elaborate art form. Woodblock artists were often involved in tattooing. This association was so close that both tattooists and woodblock engravers shared the same name, horishi. Tattooing was banned intermittently during the Edo period. The new Meiji Government, which regarded tattooing as an uncivilized custom, banned it completely in 1872, tightening the ban first in 1880 and again in 1908. Although tattooing was prohibited, Japanese tattooists 71 BRITAIN & JAPAN: BIOGRAPHICAL PORTRAITS VOLUME VI developed their skills during the Meiji period. After the re-opening of Japan in 1853 the reputation of Japanese tattoos spread among for- eigners who visited Japan, particularly seamen. In this essay, I focus on the British Royal visitors who were tattooed in Japan and on the Japanese tattooists themselves, particularly the legendary tattooist, Hori Chiyo (1859–1900), who was apparently associated with the tat- tooing of some royal visitors. TATTOOING IN MEIJI JAPAN There are very few works in Japanese about tattooing during the Meiji period. The most important is Tamabayashi Haruo’s Bunshin Hyakushi (One hundred shapes of tattooing) which gives the names of prom- inent tattooists of the Meiji period;2 but only the names of the tattooists who were active from around the Tenpo¯-Ansei periods (1830–59) onwards are recorded. The first generation of famous tattooists included Karakusa Gonta, Daruma-kin, Chari-bun, Iku, and Yatsu- hei. These tattooists are also referred to in Tanizaki Junichiro¯’s famous novel Shisei (Tattoo).3 Among them, Karakusa Gonta was regarded as the ablest. He had tattoos of karakusa (arabesque) from his wrists to the tips of his feet. He was particularly good at adding shu (cinnabar). He lived in Asakusa in Tokyo and died in 1884 or 1885. Daruma-Kin was a hairdresser and was known to be good at bokashi (shading off). Following this first generation of tattooists, a tattooist called Hori Iwa became particularly famous in the years from 1868 to 1887. He was particularly good at drawing. From around 1877 to 1882, the best tattoos were produced in the following way: an outline was done by Hori Iwa, then a bokashi by Daruma-Kin and finally shu was added by Karakusa Gonta. After Hori Iwa, Hori Kane was regarded from around 1887 to 1902 as the best tattooist. Then, from around 1902 up to the beginning of the Taisho¯ period (1912–26), Hori Uno (1st) (1843–1927) was particularly highly regarded. Tamabayashi listed three prominent master tattooists during the Meiji period, namely Hori Iwa, Hori Kane and Hori Uno; of these Hori Uno was the best. THE TATTOOS OF MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH ROYAL FAMILY The first British Royal visitor to Japan was Prince Alfred, Duke of Edingurgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1844–1900), the second son of Queen Victoria (1819–1901), who landed in Japan in 1869. Then, in 1882, Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale (1864–92), and Prince George, later King George V (1865–1936), visited Japan together. The two princes were the first and second sons of the then Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII (1841–1910). In 72.
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