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Japanese Tattoos: The Hot Looking Japanese Dragon Tattoos by Sara Smith
Japanese tattoos are a great choice for a tattoo design. They are one of the most magnificent of all of the mythical beats. The power and elegance of these beautiful mythical beasts warrant the great attention that is paid to them in the world of tattoos. The Japanese have a long tradition of tattooing and that combined with the dragon as a design is one of the best tattoos available. If you are thinking about getting such a tattoo then it can be helpful to learn about some of the symbolism, history and gather ideas about the design before you get your tattoo.
Great Ideas For Dragon Tattoo Designs
Dragon tattoos are amazingly flexible and the look, feel, and design choices you make an give a totally different symbolism and feel to the dragon. A fierce fiery red dragon with a red body wrapped around a large samurai sword will symbolize strength and power. Whereas if the dragon where high in the sky flying above some beautiful mountain lake then the design might represent freedom and peacefulness. So the symbolism and what the dragon design portrays is really dependent on the stylistic choices you make when designing the tattoo such as look, feel, location and etc.
Dragon History In Japan
Dragons are one of the most important of all the mythological beats in Japanese culture. The Japanese of course have their own word for the dragon, they call them "Ryu" or "Tatsu". They are typically depicted as very long, skinny and full of scales very similar to a serpent. They also frequently are believed to live around large bodies of water. These creatures are so powerful that they are a god and to be revered. In fact the Japanese believed that their first emporer had descended from a dragon and therefore is partially a god and infallible.
The dragon is not only popular in Japan but throughout all of Asia including China, Korea and numerous other Asian countries. You can find dragon designs throughout the sculpture, architecture and art in Japan even to this day the dragon is still a very popular design.
One can see the long history and importance role that dragons play in the prevalent use of dragons throughout Japan. Today it is very common to see dragon sculptures at alters, temples and other places of worship. Miyajima is probably one of the most famous temples dedicated to the dragon. Miyajima means The Isle Of The Temple and is a popular place for religious pilgrimage, tourists and travelers to come and pray to the dragon god for good luck and good fortune. Another famous spot can be found at the Sonsoji Temple in Asakusa Japan.
Each spring the dragon is taken and paraded around the grounds of the Sensoji temple. During this festival thousands of people come from all over Japan to drop coins into a wooden box as a donation and gift to the temple and an offering to the dragon in hopes that the dragon will give them good luck. This festival is done each spring to commemorate the finding of the gold Kannon, an image of the goddess of mercy. It is believed that in 628 AD two brothers were fishing in the Sumida river at the time they discovered this beautiful statue of the Goddess of Mercy Kanon. At the time they discovered this legend states that gold dragons flew up out of the river and in to the sky to celebrate the discovery.
In the Buddhist and even many Taoist traditions the dragon is seen as a mythical beast that represents the hardships that people will have to face and eventually overcome before enlightenment can be obtained.
Not only can the dragon be found in the sculptural and architectural works done by the Japanese but it can also be found in the literary works. For example there is the famous story os an eight headed serpent like that eats young women whole. Susanoo (the hero) is able to trick the serpent. He offers the serpent some sake to drink and then proceeds to get the serpent drunk. He then slays the evil eight headed beast, Yamata-No-Orochi.
As you can see form above the dragon is prevalent throughout the Japanese culture and their are many examples of this mythical beast in the art and architecture. The dragon can also be found throughout many of the more traditional tattoo designs. Thus gives you a wide variety of options to choose from and can help in getting the perfect tattoo you want. The most common location for a large dragon tattoo of course is the back. This makes a great back piece and the design can be done very large and therefore with a lot of detail. However you are not locked into only getting a back tattoo. If you want something a little smaller or for whatever reason don't want a back piece a dragon can easily be done on your shoulder, calf, and even a sleeve tattoo design.
Before you go out and get a Japanese Dragon Tattoo Design then you will want to check out this hot information site full of information. You might also like this site on Free Star Tattoo Designs
Article Source: http://www.earticlesonline.com/Article/Japanese-Tattoos--The-Hot-Looking-Japanese-Dragon-Tattoos/347334
