The photography is by Katie Kitamura, wife of the author. Her pictures are reproduced mostly in full-color plates, focusing on the overall aesthetic along with lots of the details. The models are both men and women, of varying ages and stages of coverage. Full portraits are complimented with more closely cropped photos, enlarging complexly-patterned details, subtle shading and expressive faces. A lexicon of body areas with the traditional Japanese names for the style of body coverage along with names for the styles of fill and background is a unique highlight.

A rare and difficult find, worth every effort it takes to get this one into your tattoo book collection.


The Complete Guide To Japanese Tattooing   March 12, 2001
 15 out of 15 found this review helpful

This beautifully illustrated book will teach you all you've ever wanted to know about the history and culture of Japanese Tattooing. Takahiro Kitamura (aka Horitaki) has been a student of Horiyoshi III for some time and his devotion to the man and the topic are obvious.

With chapters covering the history and development of tattoos and their related art in Japan going back several centuries, exploring the tatoo master/client and master/apprentice relationships, contrasting American and Japanese tattoo, and explaining the nature of Japanese tattoo 'families', the book gives an exceedingly thorough overview.

Most of the more than 200 photos were taken exclusively for this book and can not be seen elsewhere. The detail in Horiyoshi III's designs and the craftmanship displayed through Jai Tanju's photographs is superb.

Whether you just want to see examples of a true tattoo master's work or want to come to a better understanding of the history and culture of Japanese tattooing, this is a book you must have.


Get this book.   February 25, 2001
 13 out of 14 found this review helpful

This is one of the best books on Japanese tattoos I have bought so far. The text is very informative and really keeps your interest. It gives you a good background of the history of the Japanese tattoo and brings you into the modern day of tattooing in Japan.

The photography in this book is outstanding. It records the work of the master Hiriyoshi III. The detail of Hiriyoshi III's work is incredible, and the photos really do it justice in this book. I own several books on Japanese tattoos and this is by far the best. I only wish it was done in a hard cover.

This book gives you a well written insiders view into the world of Japanese tatooing and provides a wonderful collection of work by Hiriyoshi III who is by far one of the best tattoo masters in the world today.

Whether your interested in Japanese tattoos or tattoos in general this book is a must have.


Outstanding book about an outstanding art   March 10, 2001
 13 out of 13 found this review helpful

Since this book is about the great Horiyoshi III and his family clan, it's a must-have for any serious fan of Japanese tattooing. Beautiful photographs and very informative texts.

If you're looking for something about Japanese tattooing itself (history, background, etc.) then I'd rather recommend Donald Richie's "Japanese Tattoo". Though the most in-depth book available, but rather demanding to read, is Wilem Van Gulik's "Irezumi - The Pattern of Dermatography in Japan". The latter is only recommended for advanced Irezumi enthusiasts.

If you're interested in beautiful photographs of Japanese tattoos, then I can also recommend Sandi Fellman's "Japanese Tattoo".


fabulous photos, unique access, lost opportunities   July 13, 2003
 11 out of 15 found this review helpful

It appears to be the sad fate of English-language books on the Japanese tattoo that they so rarely combine all the desired publishing strengths--first-rate photography, unique insights, disciplined writing, and careful documentation--in a single volume. And this is disappointingly the case with Takahiro Kitamura's "Bushido: Legacies of the Japanese Tattoo." The book includes, as previous reviewers have noted, stunningly beautiful photographs, and it benefits mightily from the personal access of Kitamura (who tattoos as the artist Horitaka) to modern practitioners of the Japanese tattoo. However, it is also the case that only a minute percentage of the book's illustrations are captioned and explained, the text keeps shifting perspective and voice, and the glossaries and index are inadequate.

As Kitamura has proved in both "Bushido" and his "Tattoos of the Floating World," the Japanese tattoo deserves to be regarded as a serious art form. It also deserves to be presented to the public by mainline art publishers who employ the best designers and the best color separation technology. To achieve this, the time has come for talented and passionate specialists like Kitamura to consider teaming with professional art writers who flourish outside the confines of the tightly-knit tattoo community.