A history of Japanese body-suit tattooing

"The history of Japanese body suit tattooing is a fascinating one that encompasses much more than just the application of inks to skin. An understanding of the subject requires knowledge of the social and political forces at work from prehistoric times to the present day. This book traces the development of those forces, their role in the growth of the military government and its efforts to control a people often less than willing to be controlled. With reference to the Edo period (1600-1867), urbanisation and the growth of Edo (modern Tokyo), the background to tattooing is carefully explained. The yakuza (Japanese mafia), their forebears and their attitudes to life, crime and tattooing are explored in great depth. The technical aspects of tattooing are similarly detailed and Horikazu, a modern practitioner of this traditional craft, is profiled."--Jacket.