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ОглавлениеCHAPTER 1
KANJI TATTOOS
WORDS AND PHRASES, PUNISHMENT AND PLEDGES
Japanese script has found its way into tattoos in various forms over the centuries. It’s easy to see the appeal: Japanese writing is beautiful, with flowing characters and pictograms. It’s also easy to see why so many tattooists outside the country often make mistakes when working with Japanese script: the language is complex, and incorporates several different writing systems.
In recent years, bad kanji tattoos have become a cliché. Just look online: There’s the man who thought he got the word “courage” tattooed on his back, but found out the characters 大過 (taika) actually meant “big mistake.” There’s the woman who ended up with 醜 (shuu), thinking it meant “friendship,” only to find out it means “ugly,” or the individual sporting a tragic バカ外人 (baka gaijin, meaning “stupid foreigner”) tattoo. Then there are the folks who end up with ink that either doesn’t make sense, or worse, is complete gibberish. This is enough to put anyone off the idea of getting a kanji tattoo! It shouldn’t, though, as long as you make an informed decision. In Japan, irezumi aren’t done on a whim; there is traditionally more thought given. Japan has a long history of script tattoos—some of it good, some of it bad, and all of it fascinating.
Old Chinese and Japanese manuscripts, a mix of fact and folklore, do mention tattooing. One Chinese account dating from the late third century states that in Japan, decorative markings denoted rank or social status, and that Japanese shell divers had tattoos to protect themselves from harmful sea creatures. But by the fifth century, tattooing had an entirely different meaning: punishment and shame. Punitive tattoos were likely imported to Japan via China and were used to ostracize. In ancient China, which influenced early Japanese culture, tattoos were used to mark criminals and slaves, so it’s certainly possible that this is how disciplinary tattoos came to Japan. The Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan), which dates from 720 AD and is the country’s second-oldest history text, recounts how in 400 AD Emperor Richu had a rebel tattooed on the face for attempting to plot a coup, showing just how damning tattoos were. The same text recounts a story of an old codger with a tattooed face who commits theft, with the obvious implication that tattoos marked crooks. Yet another story tells how in 467 AD Emperor Yuryaku had a man permanently inked on the face after his dog killed an imperial bird. Irezumi weren’t exactly winning in the ancient history PR department.
Common locations for kanji irezumi include the chest and the spine. The tattoo 不惜身命 (fushakushinmyou) is sometimes translated as “not sparing one’s life for a worthy cause,” but actually, it’s a religious expression that refers to self-sacrificing dedication to Buddha or Buddhist law. The tattoo 我武者 羅 (gamushara) means “daredevil,” “hothead,” or even “lunatic.” Yikes!
This motif depicts Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, the legendary Japanese sword used to slay the Japanese dragon Yamata no Orochi. Traditionally, this dragon is said to have eight heads, but here it has one. A bonji character alluding to the Buddhist deity Fudo Myoo (see page 98) is emblazoned on the blade.
During the seventh century, irezumi began to fade as punishment, and save for one surviving mention of punitive tattoos in a 13th-century legal code, it wasn’t until the 17th century that penal tattoos were back with a vengeance. In the early 1600s, the Tokugawa shogunate took over Japan, creating a highly stratified society and secluding the vast majority of the country from the outside world. By the later part of that century, irezumi penalties returned, along with the slicing off of noses and ears—the latter a gruesome punishment that was no longer inflicted by 1720. Punitive tattoos, however, stuck around.
The act of applying punishment tattoos is called irezumi-kei (入墨 刑), with kei referring to penalty, sentence, or punishment.
This shows the Japanese deities Fujin (the god of wind) with Raijin (the god of lightning and thunder). Their names are written in kanji (風神 and 雷 神) in the large round mitsudomoe, a popular symbol in Shintoism and throughout Japan. The triple tomoe mark has many meanings; in one interpretation, it represents mankind, the material world, and the celestial world. The comma-shaped tomoe is also said to represent curved ritualistic stones from ancient Japan (for more, see page 101).
Irezumi became associated with crimes like fraud, extortion, or selling knockoff goods, as well as theft. Essentially these became a way to mark con men and to keep tabs on the lowest members of society. If anything, tattoos were perhaps another way the Tokugawa shogunate could solidify the country’s feudal system and keep people in their place.
The idea was that tattoos could make offenders and undesirables stand out in society with a permanent scarlet letter that bled right into the skin and couldn’t easily be taken off. The characters selected were like giant billboards that screamed, “Stay away!” And the irezumi could not have been more obvious: The kanji for evil (悪, aku) was tattooed on criminals’ heads in Edo (present-day Tokyo), while in one region of western Japan (present-day Wakayama Prefecture) the character was tattooed on the bicep. In Kyushu, there was a three-strikes system: The first was a tattooed horizontal stroke, the next was a curved stroke, and the final infraction saw the addition of another curved stroke and a dash, creating 犬 (inu, the kanji for “dog”) in the middle of the forehead. In other parts of Japan, a large “X” would be tattooed above the offender’s brow.
Not all the disciplinary tattoos were kanji inked smack dab on the foreheads of the poor offenders. There was also a complex system of lines and bars tattooed on people’s arms. As with the punitive forehead tattoos, the style of the abstract bars and stripes varied from region to region. This was because, although Japan was finally unified under the Tokugawa regime, feudal lords still ruled different parts of the country and carried out the law in slightly different ways. For example, in Kyoto, two lines might be tattooed on the bicep, while in Tokyo, two stripes around the forearm would be tattooed for the first offense. A third line would be added for the second offense. In the region of Japan known today as Yamaguchi Prefecture, the punitive tattoo was shaped like a diamond. In another region, it was a circle. Whatever the form, the message was clear: People with irezumi were bad news. The stigma of this punishment still remains. Even today, many tattooists in Japan will not tattoo the faces or foreheads of customers who live in Japan, because these markings cannot be easily hidden.
Punishment could be permanent. Here, a punitive tattoo is inked on as a lasting reminder.
The kanji here (南無大師遍照金剛, Namu Daishi Henjyou Kongou) is from esoteric Japanese Buddhism, and refers to praying to Koubou Daishi, who founded the mystic Shingon sect. The lotus (more on page 40) also has strong Buddhist associations.
Tora (虎) means “tiger.” Due to the animal’s position in the zodiac calendar and its symbolic associations, tora is a powerful kanji character that is popular in calligraphy.
Imagine walking around 17th-century Japan with “dog” tattooed on your noggin. Similarly, imagine walking around modern-day Japan with “big mistake” or “ugly” written on your body. This is why horrible kanji tattoos inadvertently feel like modern-day punitive tattoos, where the crime is ignorance and carelessness. Those who want script tattoos need to be savvy.
PLEDGE TATTOOS
Not all tattoos had negative connotations. They were also used to express ideas, feelings, and individualism that it sometimes felt like the ruling class was keen to stamp out. To maintain power, the Tokugawa government stratified society. It ensured that everyone knew their place by establishing dress codes—only certain classes were able to wear specific colors. Bound by Confucian ideals, priests and samurai were at the top of the heap, while the merchant class—despite its wealth—was below the farmers and artisans. Samurai protected the people, while field laborers and artisans produced food and goods. Merchants only made money, which Confucian society looked down upon. In the real world, however, cash-strapped samurai would increasingly need to borrow funds from the nouveau riche merchants.
Since Confucianism stressed the importance of filial piety, samurai were less likely to permanently mark themselves, as it was considered disrespectful to parents. Tattooing was seen as defacing the body created by one’s mother and father. However, that doesn’t mean samurai always refrained from irezumi, whether it was a pledge tattoo or perhaps even the samurai’s clan marking. It’s said tattoos were sometimes used to identify fallen warriors whose bodies might have been stripped on the battlefield by scavengers. These irezumi served as rudimentary dog tags.
This sheet shows how various parts of Japan used different punitive tattoos.
A lover’s hand can be seen inscribing characters on a courtesan with a needle.
For courtesans, their kimono, their musical ability, and their appearance were essential to their livelihoods. This hand-colored woodblock print, which dates from the 1660s, shows a courtesan playing for her lover.
Written Japanese
Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji
The written Japanese language uses four different writing systems. There are the two native syllabaries: the curvy hiragana and the angular katakana. Originally, hiragana was referred to as onna-de, meaning “woman’s hand,” as court ladies used the script to write poetry. Today, the script is widely used by all Japanese, and the feminine connotations have subsided. Katakana was originally used by Buddhist monks, but these days it’s largely reserved for phonetic renditions of foreign words and onomatopoeia. Romaji, which literally means “Roman letters,” is typically used for company or product names and acronyms. Finally, there’s kanji, the pictographic characters imported from China in the fifth century. Japanese uses kanji much like English uses Latin and Greek: as root words and linguistic building blocks.
The curvy hiragana and angular katakana are Japan’s indigenous writing systems. Small children first learn hiragana before learning katana. After mastering both, they begin studying basic kanji characters, such as “ichi” (一, one) and “yama” (山, mountain).
In Japanese, each kanji character can have several different readings, and some kanji can sound the same, but have totally different meanings. For example, the Japanese word 花 (hana) means “flower,” while 鼻 (hana) means “nose.” Then there are the kanji that look similar, such as the character 人, which means “person” and 入, which refers to entering. This is where errors often arise in tattoos, with the incorrect characters being used.
The kanji used in modern China and Japan look different—so please, do not mix them! Mainland China uses simplified, modernized versions of kanji, while traditional kanji continue to be used in Japan (and also in Hong Kong and Taiwan). Japan also has its own homegrown kanji, called kokuji (国字, or “native script”) that aren’t used in China.
While Confucianism might not have been hip to tattoos, it did not equal puritanism. There were plenty of places for adult men to blow off steam, including the licensed pleasure quarters, where high-class courtesans would entertain clients. With marriage more like a business partnership than a romantic arrangement, the late 1500s saw the pleasure quarters rise in Kyoto and Osaka (and later, in Tokyo’s Yoshiwara district), creating a venue for proclamations of love and pledges of devotion. Sex wasn’t always the main object; if the clients wanted that, they could always frequent the unlicensed prostitutes for a far cheaper experience. High-class courtesans had the right to refuse johns they weren’t into, so clients would primp to look their best, buying new kimonos and carrying new swords just to impress the ladies. Once the client became a regular patron, he forfeited his right to see other courtesans. Violating this understanding could result in a beating by the brothel’s muscle.
Mottoes and Mantras
Japanese Sayings to Live By
Try to find Japanese idiomatic expressions, mottoes, or mantras that sound cool, instead of trying to shoehorn in some shoddy computer software translation of an English idiom. Japan has its own sayings, and many of them make suitable tattoos.
悪因悪果
AKUIN AKKA “Cause evil, create evil.” This essentially means “You reap what you sow.” The phrase encompasses Buddhist ideals of karma.
知者不惑刺青
CHISHAFUWAKU “A wise person doesn’t waver.” Quoted from the Analects of Confucius.
千代
CHIYO “A thousand years.” This tattoo can be seen in a mid-19th-century woodblock print by the artist Munehiro Hasegawa. The kanji can also be written as 千世. Another option is 千代に八千代に (chiyo ni yachiyo ni) or, loosely, “For eternity.”
出たとこ勝負
DETATOKO SHOUBU This means “leaving things to chance.”
一期一会
ICHIGO ICHI-E Literally “one time, one meeting,” this phrase has been translated as “once-in-a-lifetime encounter” or even “Treasure every meeting, because it won’t happen again.” Steeped in Zen Buddhist notions of transience, the centuries-old phrase even appeared in the Japanese title of Forrest Gump.
命
INOCHI “Life.” There is a historical precedent for putting a lover’s name in front of this kanji—for example, 上田 様命 (Ueda sama inochi, or “My life for Mr./Ms. Ueda.”) There are also reports of tattoos with the lover’s name in front of the phrase “My whole heart for my whole life” (一心命 or “isshin inochi”) during the Edo period.
確乎不抜
KAKKOFUBATSU Determined or steadfast. Quoted from an ancient Chinese text.
起死回生
KISHI KAISEI To come back from a hopeless situation. Be aware that this is actually the name of a move in mah-jongg as well as in Pokémon.
南無妙法蓮華経
NAMU-MYOUHOU-RENGE-KYOU “Hail Lotus Sutra,” from one of Buddhism’s most important teachings, the Lotus Sutra.
南無阿弥陀仏
NAMU-AMIDA-BUTSU “I sincerely believe in Amida Buddha.” Chanting this prayer can lead to rebirth in the Pure Land.
七転び八起き
SHICHITENHAKKI or NANAKOROBI YAOKI Literally, “Fall down seven times, stand up eight times.” In short, don’t give up. Be aware that when tattooed, the endings “bi” (び) and “ki” (き) are often omitted, leaving just these five characters: 七転八起.
七生報国
SHICHISHOU HOKOKU Loosely, “Seven lives of patriotism,” indicating an undying devotion to one’s country. The phrase continues to have strong nationalistic connotations, but originally appeared in the 14th-century Japanese text Taiheiki in reference to the Buddhist concept of being reborn several times, and is associated with reverence for the emperor. In 1970, when writer Yukio Mishima tried to stage a military coup and restore the imperial throne to power, he wore a bandana bearing this motto. Mishima was unsuccessful and committed ritual seppuku.
その日を摘め
SONO HI WO TSUME Literally, “to pick up or hold the day,” equivalent to carpe diem. The phrase いまを生きる (ima wo ikiru), also translated as “carpe diem,” is the Japanese title of the film Dead Poets Society. Unless you are a huge fan of that movie, perhaps this phrase is best avoided. Japanese people would probably be more inclined to get the original Latin text instead of its Japanese translation.
雲散霧消
UNSAN MUSHOU “Scattering clouds, disappearing mist,” or “to vanish without a trace.” Also translated, however, as “going up in smoke.”
我事において後悔せず
WAGAKOTO NI OITE KOUKAISEZU “No regrets,” or literally, “As for personal matters, have no regrets.” This was written in 1645 by swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, a week before he died, in his collection of maxims titled Dokkoudou (The Path of Self-Reliance). Other doozies in the same work include 身を浅く思い、世を深く思う (mi wo asaku omoi, yo wo fukaku omou, “Consider yourself lightly, think of the world deeply”); 善悪に他を妬む心なし (zen aku ni ta wo netamu kokoro nashi, “Don’t be jealous of others’ good or evil”); and 身を捨てても名利は捨てず (mi wo sutetemo meiri wa sutetezu, “Even if you abandon your body, do not cast aside your honor”).
The character myou (妙) has a variety of meanings and connotations, including, “unusual,” “mysterious,” or “odd,” and even “excellent,” superb,” or “skilled.”
The phrase 愛のこ くはく(ai no kokuhaku) literally means “confession of love.”
How to get a good Kanji Tattoo
Five Important Tips
Kanji calligraphy can be written in a variety of styles. This scroll was exhibited at a museum in Kagoshima, Japan.
Kanji are beautiful and can make meaningful tattoos. The key is to make sure not to end up with the equivalent of modern-day punitive ink. Here’s how to avoid that:
1. Check the Kanji
The internet is littered with characters that “look” like kanji, but are actually utter gibberish. Or, if they are kanji, they might be backwards. Or upside down. Or missing a stroke. Remember that 大 means “large” and 犬 means “dog.” That’s one dash away from disaster. Sometimes, bad kanji tattoos also split up single characters into two separate ones, rendering them utterly meaningless; or flip them, turning the characters backwards. If you are trying to get an English word into Japanese, then it will be written in the phonetic katakana and not kanji. For example, “Brian” is ブライアン (“Buraian”) and “Ben” is ベン (literally, “Ben”).
2. Check the Tattooist
Outside of Japan, many tattooers will not know how to read and write kanji. Each kanji character has a set stroke order, which typically goes from top to bottom, moving left to right. Things like how the kanji are balanced visually are key. The characters are not written willy-nilly! Japanese calligraphy, or shodo (書道) requires years to master the written language’s emotive and beautiful strokes. That being said, some kanji characters are difficult for native speakers to write, and even some Japanese tattooists are not confident enough in their own calligraphy to work freehand, preferring to work from templates, or fonts. A talented tattooist, whether he or she understands Japanese or not, will be able to render even the most complex character if working from correct reference material. While, in the least smarmy way possible, it’s not a bad idea to ask the tattooist if he or she can write Japanese, perhaps the best thing is to look at work that the tattooist has done or bring in accurate reference material for your tattoo.
3. Remember, a Kanji Tattoo Is Not Just a “Design”
Keep in mind that people who know Japanese might see your tattoo. While a tattoo of a samurai with “samurai” (侍) written in Japanese characters might sound cool, be aware that it is akin to getting a skull inked with “skull” written below it in English. Something like bushido (武士道, “way of the samurai”) might be a better choice. When selecting a phrase, try to think of how you would feel if saw someone with an English tattoo that read “Water” or “Fire.” Simple words or adjectives might look odd to Japanese, who tend to get either mottoes, names, or prayers inked on their bodies (see examples on page 15).
4. Don’t Use Machine Translations
While translation software continues to be important, and may be handy for giving you a vague idea of what you are reading on a Japanese website, it isn’t perfect. Idiomatic expressions and nuance get lost in translation, and you’ll end up like the guy who wanted a tattoo of “freedom” in Japanese, but ended up with 無 料 (muryou, or “free of charge”). And yes, he paid for that tattoo.
5. Do Your Research
You are getting a Japanese script tattoo, so how about hitting up your local library? Or bookstore? Or looking online? Or checking with someone who knows Japanese? Sure, while acting on impulse is fun—and is certainly part of the Western tradition—foreign-language tattoos should have a tad more preparation, understanding, and context. For example, it might seem cool to get a tattoo that says “ronin” (浪人, a masterless samurai), but realize that today, the word also refers to students who didn’t pass their university examinations.
Jihi (慈悲) is translated as “mercy,” “compassion,” or “benevolence.” Both kanji contain kokoro (心, “heart”), underscoring the word’s intrinsic meaning while also making for a balanced set of characters.
Chouetsu (超越) is “transcendence.”
Itaidoushin (異体同心) is often translated as “same mind, different body.”
Against this backdrop, a declaration of fidelity was important for both the client and the courtesan—for the client, it could mean bragging rights; for the courtesan, it could be a way to string a customer along. A love pledge sealed in blood, or even a lock of the woman’s hair or her clipped fingernail were most common, but among the lower-class courtesans, there were stories of working girls cutting off a finger for a lover or a client. Today, finger-cutting to make up for mistakes is part of yakuza lore, and there is even a Japanese children’s equivalent of the pledge “Cross my heart, hope to die” that involves chopping off fingers! However, the ultimate declaration of permanent love was a tattoo. It was a way for clients to leave their mark—literally.
Ancient Bonji Characters
Esoteric Buddhist Calligraphic Writing
Originally from North India, bonji are ancient calligraphic characters that are used to write Buddhist mantras in Sanskrit; they were influential in the development of hiragana and katakana in Japan. Bonji characters have mystic powers and continue to appear in esoteric Buddhism, most notably Japan’s Shingon (“True Word”) sect. In tattooing, bonji irezumi for the zodiac animal of the year in which one was born are common.
Birth-year bonji are common irezumi motifs.
Bonji can be found throughout Mount Koya, a sacred site located outside Osaka. Since the ninth century, the area has been the center of esoteric Japanese Buddhism.
The decorative tattoos that increasingly began to appear by the late 1600s weren’t yet the elaborate pictorial designs of flowers and fauna Japan has become famous for, but vows and pledges. Moreover, the early pleasure-quarter tattoos weren’t done by artists, but rather by the courtesans themselves or their prized clients. These early tattoos were abstract, and would later evolve into written words and phrases.
First appearing in the pleasure quarters of Osaka and Kyoto, irebokuro (入れ黒子, literally, “inserted moles”) were dots tattooed above the thumb on top of the hand. When that tattooed hand clasped another tattooed hand, the matching dots would interlock, creating a romantic way to hold hands—a secret proof of devotion in an age when marriages were not always for love, and passion was found elsewhere. And there was one courtesan who got an array of dots on her elbow—the same number as her lover’s age. (No word on whether or not she updated the tattoo on an annual basis, though!) Then there was one courtesan who figured out that perhaps letting a customer write his name on your shoulder was bad for business, and supposedly had her customers’ names inked between her fingers instead. There were also courtesans who tattooed moles or beauty marks on their faces, as well as replacing their eyebrows with ink in an early form of permanent makeup. In Osaka and Kyoto, irebokuro were widespread enough among the courtesan subculture that the term itself was used to refer to all tattoos.
Kanji tattoo designs can also be made to look like the carved stamps people use as official seals.
This piece is based on an ancient style of kanji that isn’t used as writing in modern Japan.
Out of all the bonji, this character appears twice on the Chinese zodiac calendar and represents three birth years: The Year of the Rat, the Year of the Pig, and the Year of the Dog.
Many Japanese families have their own coat of arms. Here, a family crest represented by a pair of oak leaves is embellished with expressive brush strokes.
Other examples of vow tattoos (起 請彫り, kishoubori) include clients writing their names on the courtesan’s shoulder or thigh with a brush, and then piercing the skin and rubbing in ink to create a permanent mark. The kanji for inochi (命, “life”) would also be added after a lover’s name to say “My life for so-and-so.” This was another bold proclamation of affection, with the length of the last stroke representing the strength of the pledge.
The highest-ranking courtesans were unlikely to get tattoos. Like samurai, many adhered to the Confucian ideals common at the time—namely that an individual receives their body from their parents and, out of filial piety, it should not be desecrated with permanent markings. These pledge tattoos were not part of daily life for the majority of men and women at the time, but were part of the country’s burgeoning underground subculture.
With the increase of passion-driven tattoos, there were bound to be mistakes; moxibustion techniques using dried leaves were developed to burn and blister out unwanted tattoos, leaving a scar to mark a love gone sour. Some pleasure-quarter patrons would apparently try to get courtesans to remove the names of other lovers and have theirs inserted instead.
These melodramatic love tattoos were, in a small, permanent way, more than hot-blooded expressions: they were acts of rebellion against a domineering and stratified society that was bent on exercising control, even if it failed to always do so. Tattoos were personal and private, offering freedom and expression. They were a perfect way to raise a middle finger at the country’s Confucian morals.
Not all script tattoos were pacts between lovers. There were also religious pledges and personal mottoes. Just like today, early irezumi enthusiasts—artisans, actors, gamblers, or the roving weapon-wielding chivalrous men known as otokodate—wanted those words to live by with them at all times, whether they were proclamations to God or a simple turn of phrase.
The motivations haven’t changed. Today, while bad kanji tattoos are mocked online as marks of shame, good ones are anything but, showing the grace and gravitas of the script itself. Yet as the 1700s gave way to the 1800s, Japanese tattoos would make a remarkable transformation: going from “scarlet letters” to designs of beauty that evoked fear and awe. This corresponds to the rapid success of Japanese woodblock prints from the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries—a golden epoch in mass-market art. Art was flourishing not only on paper, but also on the skin. Embarrassing punitive tattoos would be covered up and embellished with decorative designs and symbols, and Japan’s pictorial tattoo tradition would flower.
The Tebori Tradition
Often called “hand-poked” in English, tebori (手彫り) is Japan’s traditional method of tattooing.
Today, some tattooers in Japan, including some of the country’s most famous, prefer the tattoo machine to tebori—as do many Japanese irezumi enthusiasts—simply for the amount of time it saves. But others, like Hori Magoshi of Osaka (now known as Hori Shige V), carry on the tebori tradition.
Tebori uses a tool called a nomi that is made from a slender piece of bamboo; needles, called hari in Japanese, are affixed with tightly wound silk string at the tip. The tool sometimes has a grip at the end for the tattooer to hold while inserting the ink. Horiyoshi III developed a steel nomi with needle tips that can be easily removed and sterilized. Hori Magoshi, however, makes his tools with bamboo, needles, silk string, and glue. He must sharpen the tattoo needles for each client, and spends between 20 and 30 minutes making each tool.
“For shading, I usually make tebori tools with 27 needles, and for coloring, I make tools with 18 needles,” says Hori Magoshi, adding that number of needles can change depending on the tattoo. Besides crafting his own tools, he also mixes his own ink from pigment.
“This way of working makes my prep time much longer,” he says, “but I feel like it brings me closer to irezumi.” Even if the color and shading is done by tebori, Hori Magoshi still does the sujibori (outlining) with a tattoo machine, saying, “It’s much smoother and takes far less time.”
Hori Magoshi prepares his tools for a client.
Ink is inserted into the skin one poke at a time.
The tools of the trade.
TYPES OF TEBORI
Tebori is the general catchall word for tattooing done by hand. Within tebori, there are different styles based on the way the tools are held or the way ink is inserted.
HANEBORI A tebori technique often used for shading, in which the needles are inserted in the skin and then slightly flicked upward while the tool is pulled back. This widens the puncture wound, allowing more ink to enter the skin and, as a side effect, causes more bleeding.
