In many cultures, you’ll find the Tamatori hime tattoo to be a very popular symbol. The meanings and reasons to wear one are very similar from culture to culture. Theres a legend from long ago that tells of a woman who cut herself open to store a pearl, and therefore speed up the time she would reach shore. She did make her destination but eventually died of her self inflected wounds.

There are different versions of this story. Another tells of a pearl diver named Hime that cut herself to store the pearl that she was retrieving from the bottom of a lake into which a Japanese Emperor had dropped a pearl.

This type of tattoo is mainly on the back and usually starts on the lower back. The tattoo can spread over the entire back area and can include a dragon that will, of course, be the focal point of the whole tattoo.
The tattoo can also be represented by a small drawing, ever so detailed, showing bone structure, scales and flesh.

The detail will depend upon both the wearer’s wishes and the capability of the tattoo artist themselves. The drawing, in some instances, can be very detailed and have a quite elaborate background, which some wearers chose to add over a period of time.

If you look at the tattoo above you will notice that the design in the picture is fairly basic but looks quite powerful, if you notice this particular rendition of the legend covers the entire back, shoulders and begins to go down the arm as well. In this particular creation, the picture is quite basic and the background contains flame and smoke, indicating movement.

The Tamatori hime tattoo can depict many different parts of the journey, from the dive to the fight with the dragon, or the gods watching over her.

Included designs in the tattoo are that of water and scenery to dragons as well as other animals. The depiction of self sacrifice and bravery are very important parts of this tattoo.
The wearer of this tattoo can use this art to say much about themselves and their lives. There are so many different designs of this tattoo that the wearer can take parts from other designs to make their own particular statement in their tattoo.

As with any tattoo that you may be thinking of getting, take a copy of the design you wish to have and make sure that the artist is up to the job. Just as a tattoo can look great, if done poorly, it can look really badly done. This should be an endeavor that you consider closely and research greatly as it is going to be something you will have for the rest of your life. Make sure the artist practices sterile techniques and is good with his ink.

Tattoos are a good way to say something about yourself and the Tamatori hime tattoo gives the wearer a chance to use the art to make a real statement about themselves.