Japanese Writing

The Japanese Writing System

Of the writing systems in use in the world today, the Japanese writing system is among the most complex. It consists of Chinese characters as well as two phonetic alphabets. This is how the system evolved and works.

At its core, Japanese uses Chinese characters called kanji in Japanese. Because of this, it is a common misconception that the Japanese and Chinese languages are closely related. In fact, they are quite different and not even of the same language family. However, Chinese had an influence on Japanese somewhat like the influence Latin and French had on English.




The first Japanese writing was in Chinese since Japanese did not have a written form when Chinese characters were first introduced to Japan. Gradually though, different steps were taken to create a Japanese writing system built upon the Chinese model.

In many cases, both the Chinese characters and words were introduced into Japanese. These kanji were read with a Japanese approximation of the Chinese sounds called the on-yomi or on-reading.

Other kanji were assigned to Japanese words so they had purely Japanese readings. These kanji, and those kanji invented in Japan, are read with what is called the kun-yomi or kun-reading.

Unfortunately for those studying Japanese, many kanji have both types of readings and more than one of each. All together, roughly 2000 kanji characters are in use in Japanese today.

In addition, two syllable based writing systems, each containing 46 basic syllable characters, were also developed. These are called hiragana and katakana.

Hiragana is used to write native Japanese words that have not been assigned kanji, particles, auxiliary verbs as well as inflected parts of nouns, verbs, and adjectives.

The other, katakana, is used to write foreign-derived words and names that do not come from Chinese (these are usually written in kanji). It is also used to bring attention to certain words such as in advertising.

While it is possible to write Japanese entirely in hiragana, katakana or even the Latin alphabet, tradition and culture keep written Japanese the more complex system it has evolved into.(EzineArticles.com)

Check out the other guide on Japanese Names.

Tattoo Photos

How to Effectively Search Tattoo Photos Galleries

If you are thinking of getting yourself a tattoo, chances are you are looking around for a good design. Browsing through an album of tattoo photo galleries brings you to a world of fashion and style. Numerous designs can be seen in these galleries, rendered in different artistic styles, and bringing out the individual characteristics of the person who has the tattoo. Proprietors of tattoo parlors have these photos put in albums or displayed prominently in their walls. The visual stimulus helps the clients to think up designs for themselves, or else choose from the ones already made.




Most likely, in the tattoo photos galleries you will see sketches of tribal designs, astrological signs, koi fishes and other Japanese designs, dragons and other mythological creatures, religious themes, favorite animals, even scorpions, crabs, and spiders; as well as more modern images of cartoon characters, flowers, butterflies, and hearts. The tattoo artist might even draw a portrait for you on your skin. Some designs are comprised of text and letters that are meaningful only to the wearer. Others texts spell out well known phrases, or names of loved ones. There is a vast gallery of photos for tattoo designs. Sometimes, when a client is confronted with it, it becomes harder to choose. This is where a pre-knowledge of who you are, what you want, and what a tattoo artist can do will come in handy.

For those who think it is better to have a design in mind before going to the tattoo parlor to get permanently inked, then there are online tattoo photo galleries for you. There are more choices to be had online. Choose a few, print them out, and bring them with you to the shop. The artist will then discuss the designs with you. The one you like will be transferred into a stencil as the artist gets ready to give you your permanent tattoo.

Having a tattoo is not a light decision to make. You will be stuck with the design you have chosen, for life. Yes, there is a process for tattoo removal, but why bother going through it if you can choose your design wisely and be happy with it? This is how tattoo photo galleries can help you out. A good advice is to choose a design that is meaningful to you; one that will communicate who you are, not for the moment, but always.(EzineArticles.com)

Check out the other guide on Japanese Names.

Tattoo Letters

4 Thoughts About Tattoo Letters

Designs for tattoos could be of anything under the sun. It could even be of famous or favorite quotes. It could be verses from the Bible or a favorite book. It could be letters and words of special meaning only to the bearer of the tattoo. It could be the name of a loved one, or a memorial to a special person. These designs are different from other kinds because they make use of tattoo letters. These are just some of the thoughts about tattoos and the use of letters on the human body.

Fonts Are Important Too




To ink them on your skin, the tattoo letters have to be chosen very carefully. There are a hundred different fonts to choose from. Some popular examples are Gothic, Old English, tribal scroll, medieval, script calligraphy, or the ordinary Arial. Aside from the fonts, there are scripts from different cultures. Examples are Arabic, Japanese, Chinese, and even Khmer.

Some Thoughts on Tattoo Quotes

The quotes could be of anything, from poetry, to religious and spiritual exhortations, to personal messages. One rule of thumb in choosing a quotation for a tattoo is to keep it short. For some people, this is not only practical but also necessary. Quotes on paper can be as long winded as a whole paragraph, or they might even cover a whole page. This is hardly possible with tattoos. Two lines is the acceptable length. More than that and the tattoo letters might be too small to read, and you might run out of body space as well.

Is Your Love Forever?

It is a romantic notion to declare your love for one another by getting inked. However, there is currently an unwritten rule for tattoo enthusiasts not to permanently ink into skin a name that you might regret later. There are laser tattoo removals available today, but why go through all that hassle if you can avoid it? The rule of thumb here is to make sure of a lasting relationship, before getting a permanent tattoo.

Words Say it Better

Tattoos are a unique kind of body ornamentation used as fashion statement. By nature, these designs are chosen precisely because they convey an important message about the wearer. In this context, words are more effective at communicating a message than an image. Tattoo letters could be used alone in a phrase or a quote, or it could be used to accompany an image.(EzineArticles.com)

Find out the other guide on Japanese Names.

Japanese Tattoo

Japanese Tattoo Art - The Tattoo As a Part of Underworld Gangsters

The land of the rising sun, that's how people describe Japan. This is where different types of people are situated, from popular celebrities, electronic experts, robots and gangsters. In addition to that, culture and tradition have a huge influence in their everyday living. The Japanese are also excellent when it comes to visual designs. One of the popular designs used until now is the Japanese tattoo art.

History of Japanese tattooing

Archeologists concluded that tattoos started from early settlers in Japan or the so called "Ainu" tribe. Back to the early civilization, tattoos were used as facial identities. This is how people determined what tribe they belonged and what tradition they performed. Japanese tattoo art has been present for around centuries. But as years passed, simple tattoo designs turned into innovative and meaningful images. Aside from flowers and dragons, Japanese are now featuring endless choices including heroes and weapons used in wars.

Tattoo designs featured by gangsters of Japan

Japan is also known for underworld gangsters like Yakuza for example. In the past, tattoos are illegal to Japanese people and this thing was distinguished from the rest of the population. Although, there were people who have tattoos in their bodies, still authorities marked tattooed individuals as criminals. These individuals have discriminated the whole people in Japan. This is the main reason of forming underworld gangster known as "Yakuza".

Women as part of gangland society

Since then, tattoos were worn by these people symbolizing status and dedication. As featured in several movies, Yakuza tattoos involved magnificent styles and full body masterpieces. The design is quite difficult. It comprises complex curves, circles and Japanese symbols that only tattoo experts can do. During early years, Yakuza's members only involved men. Today, many women also become integral parts of Japan's gangland society.

As part of the gangster's tradition, wives and girlfriends of top Yakuza members often undergo extensive tattooing. Even in some countries, Japanese tattoo art was still in used. Try watching WWE and you'll see that some wrestlers get inked with these designs, including the world's famous Rey Mysterio and Japanese's pride Rikishi.



Japanese tattoo art is increasingly popular in the world today. Thanks to people of Japan for creating these meaningful images. Regardless of gangsters, the art of tattoo will always represent freedom for everyone. If you're interested with this kind of art, you should decide first. You should understand that tattoos are lifetime responsibilities. In order to avoid regrets in the future, you should have the willingness to carry it for the rest or your life.(EzineArticles.com)

Find out the other guide on Tattoo Ideas.

Name Tattoos

Name Tattoo Designs - Giving Affection to Your Name Tattoo Design

As the name suggests, name tattoo designs imply that they have personal appeal for both the person who has the tattoo done and the person whose name has been embedded on the skin. I suggest that both parties consult each other and evaluate what design elicits the same degree of affirmation; except of course when it is meant to be as a surprise thing.

Our names are very meaningful to us. When we associate our names to persons, animals, and plants and even man-made objects that portray our positive and strong characteristics we generate further and deeper meaning to our names. Name tattoos ought to provide similar impression. What is more meaningful is that the indelibility of tattoos intimates that the person's expression of endearment through a name mark is forever. Basically, it would always remind and refresh the primary fact that the person behind the embedded name is of great value.

There are persons who love their family so much that they wanted to create a family name tattoos and desire that all members have it as symbol of unity. In this situation, a meticulous effort to select the best drawing and balance color combination must be done. The meanings and symbolism of the design must be interpreted among family members. A family assembly might be necessary to ratify the tattoo design being considered.




Excellence through out the imprinting of the name tattoos must be the prevailing mindset of everyone involved. The lettering should be legible and readable. Calligraphic characters must be done despite the painstaking effort to possess a splendid name art. All for the sake of beauty, passion and love, give affection to your name tattoo.(EzineArticles.com)

Find out the other guide on Tattoo Ideas.

Calligraphy Pens

Brown Calligraphy Pens

With the advancement of technology, society's preference to type has taken over the preference to write. Email, typewriters, and word processors have taken over the more conventional form of penning thoughts to paper. However despite this trend, written communication is still regarded as the most formal type of communication. Calligraphy is an extreme form of this formality; it is the art of writing beautifully in a harmonious, expressive, and skilful manner. The use of calligraphy can be traced back to the origin of writing itself.

Any style of writing depends on the success and elegance of three main factors: hand, alphabet, and script. Calligraphy involves the transformation and perfection of all these factors in a variety of colors and tools, from inkwells and quills to pens. Modern calligraphy, like its ancient ancestor, ranges from functional hand-lettered envelopes to fine art designs. The most common use for calligraphy today is wedding invitations and personalized stationary, usually penned with gold, black, or brown calligraphy pens. The beauty of calligraphic writing attracts people for its unique beauty, and attracts customers who see it as proof of company quality.

Calligraphy writing requires certain skills; therefore it cannot be performed skillfully by just anyone. It was for this reason that the calligraphy pen was introduced in the market. Typical calligraphy pens are designed in such a way that an ordinary person could more easily write calligraphy. That said, the use of these pens might require some basic skills which should be practiced over time, like fluidity and an even sense of the alphabet. For individuals tired of typed words, the art of calligraphy is very appealing, and indeed in recent years has experienced something of a renaissance. Due to the increasing popularity of calligraphy, the demand for calligraphy pens has increased. Today, calligraphy pens are available in the market of various colors, widths, and cuts. Brown calligraphy pens are more in demand then ever. Considered one of the more "personal" colors by 19th century calligraphers, brown inks have a beautiful Victorian feel. Brown calligraphy pens have rich chocolate-colored ink, and are regarded as the most attractive color due to its dark color, which strains the eye less than black ink.



Brown calligraphy pens are found globally: in Middle East countries as well as some of African countries. The reason is that in these regions, brown inks are used to copy and decorate holy Islamic texts. Whether in the Middle East or the Midwest, the most popular way to shop for brown calligraphy pens is on the internet. This is mostly because of the relative scarcity of stationary stores in smaller towns. Shopping online may prove to be a bit costly when shipping fees are taken into account, but it is a time- saver as individuals don't have to hunt out individual stationary shops.

Brown calligraphy pens are found in most stationery shops around the world. The cost may vary from one place to another, depending on maker and location. The cost of these brown calligraphy pens is generally higher than other type of calligraphy pens, as brown ink costs slightly more to produce than black.(EzineArticles.com)

Find out the other guide on Tattoo Ideas.

Tattoo Shops

How to Choose the Right Tattoo Shop

Once you have figured out that you want to get a tattoo and which one, you will then have to decide which tattoo parlour you are going to. This is a very important decision as it determines whether you will have a great tattoo or something mediocre. Before you decide which tattoo parlour you are going to, you will have to figure out if they are qualified. There are hundreds of thousands of tattoo parlours out there, some are better then others. If you go to a tattoo parlour that isn't so good you might end up with an infection that can cause you a whole lot of trouble. Find out how long the tattoo parlour has been in business as this will let you know how much business they get.

When you start looking for a shop check out the history of how clean they have kept there equipment. A clean tattoo shop and clean equipment is one of the most important things when deciding which parlor you will go to. If the artist is not licensed or not a professional the equipment may not be clean. Health is of great importance for people when they get a tattoo and for very good reason. If you are going to get a tattoo make sure the artists are licensed, the place is clean and the equipment is sanitized and thoroughly cleaned after each and every tattoo.



The best tattoo shops will be very welcoming and glad to get your business. When you meet a tattoo artist he or she should be very friendly and they shouldn't be trying to intimidate you, at no time should they try to make you get a certain design. In no way should the artist try to push on you to get a more expensive design if you are just after getting something small.

Over doing sales and being too pushy are common problems with most businesses. Tattoo parlors should always be open to what you want and have a friendly manner. More experienced tattoo artists will give you there opinions but they shouldn't try to force tattoos on you. If a tattoo artist thinks there is going to be some sort of problem with your design or thinks he can do something to better the design he will let you know.If he can save you money the higher quality tattoo artist will be quick to let you know.

Before you make a final decision on which tattoo shop you are going to, you should check out what is available to you and weigh up your options. High scale tattoo shops are going to cost you more money, more then other shops, but this is to be expected as they will also keep there studio cleaner then other shops. These are the best shops in the world with sparkling clean floors and spotless interiors. The tattoo artists in these parlors are very careful about keeping the shop clean and wipe down things every chance they get.

A great way to find a tattoo shop is looking on the internet or a local phone book can also be a good idea to find parlors in your area.

The keyword to look for is of course tattoos, once you find some shop simply drive out there and take a look, if you are pleased with what you see, you can come back, you should never rush this decision and take your time looking around for the best shop for you.(EzineArticles.com)

Find out the other guide on Tattoo Ideas.