Horimono or Irezumi

Horimono: the Japanese word for "carving".Irezumi: means "insert ink". Both words refer to the art of tattooing. Japanese tattoo art was an offshoot of the distinctive woodblock prints, called ukiyo-e. Some of the wood carvers turned to tattooing as an adjunct to their artistic careers, others exchanged their carving-blades for tattoo needles full time as tattooing grew more