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.

Japanese Dragon Tattoo Possibilities

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.

The History Of The Dragon In Japan

Dragons are a fundamental mythical animal or beast tot he Japanese people. In the Japanese language dragons are referred to as "Ryu" or often "Tatsu". They of course are large yet slender serpent looking creatures. Often they live around large bodies of water such as the ocean of a big lake. They are well respected as a creature that has tremendous power and therefore the Japanese believe that the very first emperor of Japan had descended from a dragon and therefore is partially god himself.

Like many of the east Asian countries dragons have a long tradition in Japanese culture, art, architecture and literature. There are numerous stories, temples and shrines where dragons play a central role.

One can see the improtant role that dragons play in Japanese culture through their extensive sculptures. It is common to see statues of dragons at an alter, temple and other places of worship. For example at the Sonsoji Temple in Asakusa Japan the dragon statue is one of the most predominate features. An even more famous spot is at Miyajima also know as The Isles Of The Temple. This temple is a famous spot for travelers, tourist and religious. They all come here to pray to the dragon and ask for good fortune and good luck in the up and coming year.

At the Sensoji Temple the dragon sculpture is taken out each spring and paraded around the temple ground. Thousands of people from all over Japan come to see and participate in this huge festival. This is done to commemorate a major event. The story is about two brothers who in 628 AD were fishing along that bands of the Sumida river. During their fishing trip they accidentally discovered a beautiful statue of the Goddess of Mercy Kanon. It is said that a gold dragon flew up out of the river and into the sky once the discovery was made as a way to celebrate the wonderful finding.

Followers of both the Taoist and Buddhist religions believe that the dragon can also represent some of the hardships that one must face in their journey towards spiritual enlightenment.

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.