Horiyoshi III
Encyclopedia
Horiyoshi III is a horishi tattoo artist, specializing in Japanese traditional full-body tattoos, or "suits," called Irezumi
or Horimono.
Nakano was inspired when he saw a Yakuza
(Japanese gangster) with a full-body tattoo in a public bathhouse when he was a young boy, "about eleven or twelve." This inspired him to visit legendary tattoo artist Yoshitsugu Muramatsu, also known as Shodai Horiyoshi of Yokohama. Nakano got his own tattoo from Horiyoshi II—Shodai Horiyoshi's son—and lead to Nakano becoming Horiyoshi I's apprentice at age 25.
Horiyoshi III is the second tattooist be granted that honorific title, which passes from master to apprentice. The tattooist affixation Hori means to engrave or "to carve." Muramatsu bestowed this title upon Nakano in 1971.
Horiyoshi III was a member of the Yakuza at a young age, but quit before becoming an apprentice tattoo artist.
His wife, Mayumi Nakano, is the general manager of his public "Tattoo Museum" located close to the Yokohama Station, which he founded in 2000.
, Japan
, tattoos are outlined freehand using an electric needle. He did the outlining by hand until the late 1990s. His friendship with Don Ed Hardy
, started in the mid-1980s, lead to Horiyoshi's adoption of electric machines.
Shading and color is added using the traditional tebori, or Japanese hand tattooing, technique. He restricts his motifs to the classical repertoire of the vast variety of traditional Japanese stories and designs: peonies, koi, dragons, tenyo (she-angels), etc. Horiyoshi feels responsible for keeping the classic repertoire alive, "one prick at a time."
Horiyoshi III's work can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and may require weekly hour-long visits over the course of several years to complete.
His work is now limited to finishing existing clients' tattoos.
Among Horiyoshi III's published works are the sketch books 36 Ghosts, 108 Heroes of the Suikoden, 100 Demons, 58 Musha, The Namakubi (a collection of drawings of severed heads) published by Nihonshuppansha, and Ryushin, a collection of dragons and folk-tale heroes to be published by Kofuu-Senju Publications in 2010.
called Alex Reinke, whom he named Horikitsune ("the tattooing fox") about 13 years ago.
Irezumi
Irezumi is a Japanese word that refers to the insertion of ink under the skin to leave a permanent, usually decorative mark; a form of tattooing....
or Horimono.
Biography
Horiyoshi III was born Yoshihito Nakano in 1946.Nakano was inspired when he saw a Yakuza
Yakuza
, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...
(Japanese gangster) with a full-body tattoo in a public bathhouse when he was a young boy, "about eleven or twelve." This inspired him to visit legendary tattoo artist Yoshitsugu Muramatsu, also known as Shodai Horiyoshi of Yokohama. Nakano got his own tattoo from Horiyoshi II—Shodai Horiyoshi's son—and lead to Nakano becoming Horiyoshi I's apprentice at age 25.
Horiyoshi III is the second tattooist be granted that honorific title, which passes from master to apprentice. The tattooist affixation Hori means to engrave or "to carve." Muramatsu bestowed this title upon Nakano in 1971.
Horiyoshi III was a member of the Yakuza at a young age, but quit before becoming an apprentice tattoo artist.
His wife, Mayumi Nakano, is the general manager of his public "Tattoo Museum" located close to the Yokohama Station, which he founded in 2000.
Works
At Horiyoshi's studio in YokohamaYokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, tattoos are outlined freehand using an electric needle. He did the outlining by hand until the late 1990s. His friendship with Don Ed Hardy
Don Ed Hardy
Don Ed Hardy is an American artist raised in Southern California. Hardy is best known for his tattoo work and his eponymous apparel and accessories brand Ed Hardy.-Early life:Hardy was born in 1945 in Corona del Mar, Newport Beach, California...
, started in the mid-1980s, lead to Horiyoshi's adoption of electric machines.
Shading and color is added using the traditional tebori, or Japanese hand tattooing, technique. He restricts his motifs to the classical repertoire of the vast variety of traditional Japanese stories and designs: peonies, koi, dragons, tenyo (she-angels), etc. Horiyoshi feels responsible for keeping the classic repertoire alive, "one prick at a time."
Horiyoshi III's work can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and may require weekly hour-long visits over the course of several years to complete.
His work is now limited to finishing existing clients' tattoos.
Among Horiyoshi III's published works are the sketch books 36 Ghosts, 108 Heroes of the Suikoden, 100 Demons, 58 Musha, The Namakubi (a collection of drawings of severed heads) published by Nihonshuppansha, and Ryushin, a collection of dragons and folk-tale heroes to be published by Kofuu-Senju Publications in 2010.
Successor
Horiyoshi III's successor will be his son Kazuyoshi Nakano, named Souriou (heir) until he gets his Hori-name. Upon successfully completing the apprenticeship, Kazuyoshi will become Horiyoshi IV. Horiyoshi III has only one other apprentice, a GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
called Alex Reinke, whom he named Horikitsune ("the tattooing fox") about 13 years ago.
External links
- Horiyoshi's homepage
- Irezumi - Irezumi by Horiyoshi III
- Horiyoshi the Third Clothing - Clothing and Accessories inspired by Horiyoshi III
- Horikitsune- Apprentice Horikitsune's website
- Kofuu-Senju Publishers - Kofuu-Senju Publications (Horiyoshi IIIs' books and more)