Capturing the Fleeting History of Japanese Tattoo: Sakiko Nomura’s Photography
Japan is a country full of history that has held strong even in the modern day.
From traditional garb and attire to food and ceremonies, Japan’s culture has always found a way to keep itself intertwined with the country's modernization.
Tattoos are no exception: a large part of Japanese history despite the strange societal gray area they currently reside in. Capturing all this history is no easy task, yet legendary contemporary Japanese photographer Sakiko Nomura has managed to do this beautifully with her recent exhibition, MAJESTIC.
MAJESTIC is an intimate project following the rich history of the Daisen Pilgrimage or Mt. Oyama Pilgrimage. The pilgrimage is done once a year in celebration of the traditional engravings or carvings as well as tattoos that were popularized during the Edo period. The pilgrimage follows a cherished history of participants revealing personal and unseen ‘carvings’ [tattoos], purifying themselves in the mountain’s waters, and finally steadily climbing to the peak as an act of dedication and reverence.
Sakiko Nomura’s penetrating black-and-white photography captures first-hand the intimately quiet yet powerful long-standing tradition. Her expert play on lighting do well to highlight the subjects of her pieces, further immersing us, her audience, into this sublime world. Tattoos stay a main focus of her work yet are not sudden ephemeral shocks to the senses. Rather, the ukyio-e style tattoos are a part of the tradition and highlight the enduring nature of this sacred event that Nomura so greatly cuts out and presents for the world to see.
Sakiko Nomura’s MAJESTIC immortalizes an intricate side of Japanese culture with black-and-white photography, adding a somber and reverential tone to the peacefully intense photos.
Author’s Bio:
Seb Paez was born and raised in the Philippines before coming to Tokyo. He thinks you’re pretty cool.
