News
Dec 27, 2022
The tattoo as a symbol of resistance
“The social articulation of difference is a complex, ongoing negotiation.”
Homi K. Bhabha, The location of culture
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Nov 25, 2022
The Dutch Angle - Tattooing in the Netherlands today
Let’s go back for a minute to Amsterdam in the early 1990s. On the stereo, Nederhop rap music. In the streets, bomber...
Nov 20, 2022
Meet the author – Emiel Steenhuizen
As Kintaro released our first book for children, “Yokka wants a tattoo”, we caught up with the book’s author and illu...
Oct 7, 2022
Lines of power: the mystic tradition of Sak Yant tattoos
From ancient warriors to gap-year hikers, the Sak Yant (or “Yantra”) tattoos of Southeast Asia have offered protectio...
Aug 30, 2022
Out of the shadows: yōkai in postwar Japanese culture
In our previous blog, we discovered the mysterious origins of yōkai – the mischievous and, at times, malevolent creat...
Jul 29, 2022
In the realm of the unseen: monsters of Japanese mythology
If you’ve ever seen a film by Hayao Miyazaki or played a certain cult Japanese beast-collecting game, you’ve probably...
Jun 2, 2022
Ukiyo-e Part 2 - The history of Japanese woodcuts
The Edo period was an incredible time in Japan's history. It was a time of peace and prosperity after the constant w...
Apr 28, 2022
Ukiyo-e Part 1 – the floating world
“Because they fall we love them – the cherry blossoms.
In this floating world, does anything endure?”
– Ariwara no...
Mar 28, 2022
Japan's colorful history of tattooing
Japanese tattoos are famous throughout the world. They are much sought after by collectors and are lauded for their s...
Feb 28, 2022
The tattooed firefighters of Edo
The Flowers of Edo… that’s how the resident of Edo (now Tokyo) used to describe the fires which ravaged the city. And...
Jan 24, 2022
Horiyoshi III
Following the sell-out success of our collaboration with tattoo legend Horiyoshi III – Scrolls, we’re releasing a fo...
Nov 24, 2021
Tattoos used to be dangerous
Traditionally worn by sailors and criminals, often marking big accomplishments, like getting an anchor tattoo for cro...