#askrggt

[rggtattoos]

Are there any that could be used by husband and wife for example dragon and phoenix? Also are spiders ever used? Or wolves?

The dragon and the vermillion bird are associated with masculine and feminine, so they make an excellent pairing for a couple! They complement one another in a lot of ways. I go into detail about the celestial symbols, including Dragon and Vermillion Bird HERE

(note that while some sources will translate the vermillion bird as a pheonix or "chinese pheonix", they are different creatures. Phoenixes are Greecian, and while both are associated with fire, and the cycles of life and death, the vermillion bird lacks the power of rebirth that defines a pheonix. This could just be me being pendantic, since the same could be said of the Ryuu/Long vs the western europian "dragon." It's just as a mythology buff I think it's an important distinction, especially if we are talking about depicting creatures in art.)

You can also look into the many myths and folk tales about love from Japan. There are many. One with a lot of symbolism and imagery is the story of Orihime (the weaver princess) and Hikoboshi (a cow hearder), two lovers that were seperated by their godly parents after they neglected their jobs, distracted by their love. They were placed as stars on opposite sides of the Milky Way. Once a year they reunite when a flock of magpies forms a bridge for them to cross and reunite on the 7th day of the 7th month.

As for spiders and wolves: yes and yes! Both crop up in Japanese folklore quite a bit. Spiders are often associated with seductive women, though there are a few straightforward spider monsters, like the Ushi-oni.

Japanese wolves are near extiction today, but they were once worshiped like many other animals. Japanese wolf species are much smaller than American and European species, and so were less of a threat and more helpful pest control. Some myths still depict them as potentially viscious, like the Senbiki Okami, a pack of 100 intellegent wolves that will form a ladder to catch prey from the trees. Like foxes, cats, and tanuki, wolves could be shape-shifters. They could be protectors or attackers; good luck or harbingers of death.

As always I recomend yokai.com and ukiyo-e.org for researching creatures and designs. They are fantastic, searchable resources that are very accessible to an english-speaking researcher. (not all my resources are! it's a pain!)

[rggtattoos]

Do Red Spider Lilies ever show up in irezumi? If not, is there some some sort of taboo that comes with inking yourself with them. If yes, what would they symbolize?

I found some evidence of red spider lilies (Higabana) used in irezumi style tattoos, and nothing to suggest that there is any kind of taboo against using them in tattoos, only as a gift.

In addition to symbolizing death, red spider lilies are important to Buddism, as it is believed that the flowers grow in Jigoku (part of the afterlife that is often translated to "Hell" or "Purgatory") to lead the dead to reincarnation.

[rggtattoos]

i'm sure you're very busy so no worries if this doesn't get an answer, but do you have any headcanons or ideas for a tattoo our dearest Nishida could have?

I adore his character so much... Stressed straightman, YET surprisingly competent. I like to think there's a little more to him than that, considering that he works for Majima of all people... The lack of attention on him leaves so much room for the imagination!

I’m also a big fan of Nishida! I think that Nishida must be much stronger than we are ever directly shown, otherwise he would have not have risen to lieutenant with a patriarch like Majima. I think he’s just surrounded by absolute monsters and is very aware of where he stands in comparison to all of these unkillable forces like Majima and Kiryu.

For Nishida I wanted something that reflects his link to Majima, since Nishida is Majima’s right-hand man. I went with the Inugami, a dog spirit that I think may have had some influence on Majima’s backstory as The Mad Dog. Inugami are yokai that are created by sorcerers to act as servants. They are created by tying up a dog just out of reach of food, or burying it up to its neck, then starving it near to death. When the dog has been driven mad by hunger, its head is severed and buried under a crossroads where the constant noise will further enrage the spirit of the dog. Despite the cruelty of this process, inugami are exceedingly loyal to their masters, and can be handed down as an heirloom, faithfully serving its family for generations. However, it is possible for a master to be so abusive that the inugami turns on them, killing the sorcerer who controls them. There are some similarities between Majima's treatment by Shimano, and Majima's subsequent treatment of his own men, Nishida included. However, while Majima eventually snaps and turns on Shimano, Nishida shows no signs of being pushed to a breaking point. Majima may be harsh, even cruel, to his men, but he has no desire to break them the way Shimano does. Nishida even shows genuine concern for Majima's well-being in RGGO's side stories for him, as well as promising Saejima that he will look after Majima in 5.

Dogs in general represent loyalty, but may also be associated with criminals. Nishida is a low-level yakuza compared to the legends the story usually focuses on, but he's competent and loyal to the Majima family and its patriarch.  

I also think that the image of the inugami could be stylized like a namakubi tattoo, a traditional image in Japanese tattoos of a bloody severed head. This head is often that of a samurai, representing the beheading of a samurai after they have committed seppuku. This represents the samurai ideals of honor. Nishida’s loyalty to the Majima family is absolute, despite his anxious, fearful personality. His side stories in RGGO show that he takes his oath very seriously, and is dedicated to pursuing strength by studying the legends of the Tojo.

For a flower I chose the blue aster, or ezogiku, because in Japanese flower language they mean "I trust you, but I am worried" which I thought was funny and fits the loyal but anxiety-ridden Nishida to a T.

[rggtattoos]

Do you think people like Dojima, Kazama and Kashiwagi only have their backs tattooed, or do they also have tattoos on their chests, arms and legs?

In the RGG franchise, the amount of tattoo seems to often reflect how "consumed" by the yakuza lifestyle the character. Characters who try try to "break away" from tradition, or the yakuza as a whole tend to have the simpler tattoos (Kiryu, Daigo). While chacacters with full border tattoos seem incapable of existing outside the criminal world (Majima, Shimano). There is also a bit of a hero/villian line. A big part of Kashiwagi's character is the establishment of the CLA, which helps reintegrate former yakuza into civilian life. Meanwhile, Dojima is completely consumed by his desire for power by climbing the ranks of the Tojo.

In short:

Kashiwagi- traditional

Dojima: full border

[rggtattoos]

Apologies if I missed it (or if it's shown in the games, I haven't played very far in the series), but any headcanons for Dojima Yayoi?

Of all the female characters in Like a Dragon, I feel like Lady Dojima is the most likely to canonically have a back tattoo. This was a difficult one! I wanted something that reflected Lady Dojima’s elegance, intelligence, and general badassery.

While women are not "officially" allowed to join the yakuza, this doesn't mean there are no women involved in the yakuza. Like Lady Dojima, the wives of bosses act as advisors, helping look after young recruits and even take over families should their husband die or go to jail. They are also just as likely to have irezumi. We are even told that the Dojima family gained most of their power through the respect Lady Dojima garnered. 

I did a lot of reading of traditional Kabuki and Bunraku because I thought a literary figure would suit Lady Dojima. I finally settled on Tamaori-hime from the play "Ichinotani Futaba Gunki" ("A Chronicle of the Battle at Ichinotani.") "Ichinotani" is based of the historical epic “Tales of Genji.” It was a bunraku puppet show first, then later adapted into a kabuki play. Tamaori-hime is engaged to the warrior Atsumori, but is separated from him shortly after their marriage as she was traveling with him to the battlefront of the Heike/Genji war. Over there course of the play, numerous jealous suitors attempt to abduct Tamaori-hime, but she stabs and drives off these attempts using her combat prowess. Finally, a man named Hirayama disarms and mortally wounds her. As she bleeds out, hidden behind some rocks, Atsumori is defeated in battle and beheaded. Tamaori-hime dies grasping at her deceased husband's severed head, too blinded by death to see his face and calling Atsumori's name.

Lady Dojima is fiercely faithful to her husband, despite knowing that her loyalty is not reciprocated. Lady Dojima is also romantically pursued by a man she has no interest in, and resists his advances verbally and physically. There was also a sense of irony of pairing a woman who dies tragically next to her heroic beloved with a woman who bitterly survives a horrible man, carrying forward his name and attempting to cement some sort of legacy to the Dojima name. 

For a flower I went (relatively) basic with ume plum blossom. The name "Yayoi" is the Japanese name for the month of March, and plum blossoms are one of March's flowers in Japanese flower language. They also represent dignity, nobility, fidelity, beauty, and longevity. Suitable for a very traditional, old-fashioned lady of nobility.

References:

Women in the yakuza

Tamoari-hime

Ume blossoms

[rggtattoos]

Hypothetical tats for Akiyama, Tanimura, and Shinada?

The protagonists of 4 each have strong theming around the Celestial Symbols. Kiryu is the dragon, and Saejima is the tiger, as made clear by their respective tattoos. However, the VR game in 4 makes it clear who the others are supposed to be.

Akiyama Shun

Akiyama is the vermillion bird, though he is specifically more associated with phoenix imagery. The explosion of the Millennium Tower in 1 acted as the fire that allowed him to rise from the ashes and build the fortune he used to create Sky Finance. He also has a lot of sky/air association with the name "Sky Finance" coming from the very literal windfall of money that fell from the sky from the exploded 10 billion yen. So a phoenix with clouds to represent the sky would work well.

For a plant motif I went with Kane no Naruki or the "money plant".In Japanese flower language  Kane no Naruki means "inviting good luck", "wealth", and "get rich quick", all of which reflects not only his enormous fortune which he uses to run Sky Finance, but his incredible luck that helped him build that fortune, and even dodge death a few times.

Tanimura Masayoshi

Tanimura is Genbu, the Black Tortoise. Genbu represents darkness and shadow, which could be seen as a reflection of Tanimura's association with the fringes of Japanese society, including Kamurocho's immigrant population, as well as his dealings with minor criminal organizations. The tortoise is also considered to be a warrior because of its shell "armor." Tanimura is a member of the police force, and the parry move signature to his fighting style makes him the one of the most defense-centered fighters in the series. 

Genbu is said to have been created when a warrior went to wash earthly sin from his stomach and intestines. His stomach became a monstrous turtle and his intestines became the snake wrapped around Genbu’s shell. The warrior subdued the monster and it instead became a protector to work off its sins. Tanimura is a gambler and a corrupt cop who takes bribes, all of which are rooted in earthly desires. However, he also has a strong sense of justice and works to better the lives of others.

For Tanimura's flower I chose the spotted bellflower, which represents faithfulness and justice. In Japanese they are called "firefly bags". In Japanese folklore fireflies are said to be the souls of dead warriors. I thought this could also allude to Tanimura chasing his father's memory.

Shinada Tatsuo

Shinada replaces Tanimura as the Black Tortoise in 5. This is lampshaded during the Amon substory where it is outright stated that the rest of the crew consider Shinada as Tanimura's replacement. This ends up being fitting, as Genbu is actually a double entity, being depicted as a tortoise with a snake wrapped around it. This is because of the belief that all tortoises were female and thus had to mate with a snake in order to reproduce. 

Genbu being a warrior serving penance for their sins fits several aspects of Shinada's character: his current destitute state resulting from (supposedly) cheating during a baseball game and getting banned from the league, as well as his focus on carnal pleasure over steady employment or career. Eventually he "redeems" himself by helping unwind Kurosawa's plot and officially becomes a member of the celestial symbols

Changing the orientation of the Genbu so there is more focus on the snake would make Shinada decidedly different from Tanimura, and encourage comparison between the two. Tanimura is driven by his desire to investigate his father's past, while Shinada is content to drift through life. Shinada doesn't seem to have any goals until a conspiracy targets him for unknown reasons. 

Snakes also symbolize fertility, which I thought was fun, given Shinada's intimate knowledge of Nagoya's nightlife and adult entertainment scenes. They also are messengers of the gods and protectors of sacred places. Shinada is sent by Daigo and later Kiryu in order to protect Haruka at the concert, with the performance acting as a sacred place.

For Shinada's flower I chose the trailing ice plant. In Japanese flower language they represent laziness, but conversely also "achievement". Seemed to fit someone who was once a great athlete who is now a washed-up loser.

[rggtattoos]

Can you do a tattoo analysis/breakdown of Shadow Sae Niijima's tattoo? (This is from the official artbook)

An interesting request for a character from Persona 5! Not my usual fare for this blog, but I have played this game, and Shadow Sae's tattoo is definitely in the irezumi style, so I am happy to do some analysis.

Shadow Sae's tattoo is of yellow roses with long, thorny vines and what appears to be a Doberman Pinscher with cropped ears baring its teeth. 

Dobermans were bred as personal protection dogs, and are known for their loyalty, and intelligence, though they also have a reputation for aggression (though research suggests this aggression is usually directed at perceived threats to the dog's owner). The breed was used by the United States as the country's official war-dog, and is also used as police dogs. This could symbolize Sae's role as a threat to the Phantom Thieves, ruthlessly hunting them down to bring them to justice, but also her frustration at being nothing more than the dog of an obviously corrupt police force. 

Cropping is the amputation of some or all of the external parts of a dog's ear. This is done for aesthetic purposes, and to reduce grabbing targets in fighting dogs. The practice is largely considered inhumane and is illegal in several countries, though it is still unrestricted in both Japan and America. The cropped ears signal that this is a fighting dog, not just hunting or work. 

Sae's roses, both on her hat and in her tattoo, are gold/yellow to match her eyes. Her dress and the thorns of her roses are black. Yellow roses can mean affection and friendship, but also jealousy, which is the Deadly Sin associated with Sae's palace. The friendship connection could also be seen in her personal connection to the Phantom Thieves through her sister, whom she still cares for even through Sae's corruption. Gold is the color of wealth and prestige, reflecting the decadence of Sae's casino and her role as a classy high-roller. Black is associated with death, evil and destruction. It is also the color of mourning in most of the world, including Japan and one of the primary theme colors for Persona 5, used to represent the Metaverse and the shadow versions of people, including both the palace rulers and the Phantom Thieves.

[rggtattoos]

Any idea how I can get some art work inspo related to this series? I like the art of this, and would like to get a elephant motif like Saejima. The Asian Elephant, to be specific. Any old artworks regarding it?

I recommend searching Ukiyo-e artwork, as this style of printmaking has a distinct style with a lot in common with irezumi tattoo art.

Here is a collection of elephant art from ukiyo-e.org, a database of Ukiyo-e artwork spanning hundreds of years. https://ukiyo-e.org/search?q=Elephant