TATTOOING IN JAPAN - THE KOFUN PERIOD

The Kofun period (300–538CE), and the subsequent Asuka period are known as the Yamato period, marking the earliest recorded period in Japanese history. The name Kofun comes from the burial mounds of the era. Japanese elites, under heavy influence by Chinese Confucian ideals—began to view tattoos as barbaric and shameful. Japanese opinion was heavily swayed by both China and Korea, as clear cultural lines had yet to be drawn. By the Edo period, punitive tattoos known as bokukei were administered. As buddhism came to be nationally adopted beginning at the end of the Kofun, the issue of filial piety contested that one’s body is a gift from one’s ancestors and should not be desecrated. While there is no singular instance that brought it about, this transformation from respected ritual to criminal mark was pivotal in shaping the negative perception of tattoos in Japanese culture that persists today.