A black-and-white photo of a person mid-air in a Superman-style body suspension pose, supported by multiple hooks in their back and legs, smiling joyfully toward the camera. They are suspended horizontally in a large indoor space with high ceilings and visible rigging. A group of onlookers—some seated, some standing—watch with expressions of admiration, amusement, and support. The atmosphere is lively and communal, capturing a moment of shared experience and transformation.

Big in Japan

TattooJoe (Nick‘s tattooist, as a point of trivia) having his knee worked on whilst in Japan..

This hurt, look at the size of the machine!

See more in Oriental-style Tattoos (Tattoos)

Comments

71 responses to “Big in Japan”

  1. Anthea Avatar

    do we have to have this argument every single time? I’m sure I’m not the only one getting sick of all the hostility going around recently.

    Jon, i respest youre argument, but it is un-necessary and belittling to jump right into the insults/anger. i mean what you said in post 43 summed it up great, and a lot more people will have come away with the understanding of what is ta moko, and what is kirituhi. instead people have got angry, most have probably given up reading the comments, and the rest have lost respect for each other and not wont accept what the other party is saying.

    you may not want their respect but most people need to respect you in order to see your side of the argument and learn from you. you may not like it and prefer to live your life by other means, but it’s how they work, don’t complain when they don’t always see what you’re saying.

    for anyone who is interested the book that Jon recomended (Mau Moko: The World of Maori Tattoo) ISBN is 9780670045617 and indeed is awesome. really great book.

  2. Aniwaniwa Avatar
    Aniwaniwa

    It really isn’t a matter of what you intended Tattoojoe. This is about those who took offence to what they saw. That is the issue. Even if you feel that you didn’t intend to offend anyone you still did. Just because many people do the wrong thing doesn’t make what is wrong right. How many people go about murdering other people? Because so many people murder does that make it right? Of course not. Neither does taking culture from another.

    You are free to believe what you will about who you are Tattoojoe i.e. you’re not a bad person. That still won’t change the fact of what has taken place(you took). How many rapists were good religious men who still thought they were good religious men?

    Tā moko is not about getting something that looks great on your face. Tā moko is not about the design. It is about honouring connections to one’s ancestors and living relatives who make the choice for you as to whether or not you will be endowed with it. It is a gift given by others. Never sought for oneself. Travelling to New Zealand to get expert help on tā moko is always an option. And if it wasn’t convenient for you at the time to make the trip then obviously you did want the tā moko as much as you said you did.

    While Western art in general would be classifed as ‘noa’ (free from restriction i.e. it can be shared) from a Polynesian point of view items such as tā moko are not considered ‘noa’ as they are considered ‘tapu’ (sacred, not to be freely given). Thus, Western art =/= Polynesian art (=/= means does not equal). Western art and the West generally do not have analogous cultural concepts to ‘tapu’ and ‘noa’ that operate on a day to day basis. We have differing attitudes – in fact, the concept of art doesn’t exist in Polynesian cultures. So what is considered art in the West is not considered art in Polynesia because the category of ‘art’ does exist culturally. So while the West may feel it is ok to use other people’s art since art is considered to be public domain (i.e. noa) in Polynesia and for Polynesians what is considered to be ‘art’ by the West may not simply be considered public domain (i.e. it is considered tapu).

    At least you’ve said sorry. Perhaps now there is a chance to move forward and to ammend for the mistake that you’ve made.

  3. bradly Avatar
    bradly

    who cares what u think ur full of hate and sprite and all it does iscause people to not like uwhichis ok so besides that why dont u talkabout allthegood things about where u come from like i hear that quebec has great waffles andthat u guys are big tippers…

  4. good friends and a bottle of pills Avatar
    good friends and a bottle of pills

    hahaha good job Bradly

    Pee Jon Pee

    I choose to remain silent on your remarks. I will only point out that you once again showed off by telling us your academic status.Don’t even go there boy. being a colledge graduate is an obligation and not an achievement.

    regarding the rest of your comments, i will quote my previous spot by telling you that “…i vomit towards your general direction”.

  5. Jon P Avatar
    Jon P

    Being a uni grad is an obligation, not an achievement? How is it not an achievement to spend years slugging away and PASSING? Fuck you dude.

    And Anth, go spend time with your scum-buddy Travis.

  6. bradly Avatar
    bradly

    Jon eye sense ur hostrilties and we care and understand it’s ok we are just playing with haha fun now just relax and breath ur here amoingst friends whoreally care if u give me aa good mailin addy ill send u a big box of tissues to help deal with ur issues….
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOKsRxcHs7M

  7. bradly Avatar
    bradly

    p.s i just realized tha I have a new zealand hookup do thinku have enough to get my skittle flavored sherbert push pops spread throughout there we’ll cover all the colors of the rainbow flavors damm thats hot let push push pops for likemaybe a firstg run order of lets say 60,000 break them down into 6 per box and 9 boxes no lets do 10 boxes per case but 2 cases get one free so then i think we need like at least f-ck im not sure i new that fricken ged would doo this to me but besides that how many cases can i count on u for the first run …hit me back let me know …..Somaholia

  8. bradly Avatar
    bradly

    oh frick with all that talk i just realized the most important factor just how delishiiuos they will be like tasting a a rainbow but sherberetie O_+

  9. MRC Avatar

    Jon P

    I think the issue here, in any possible sense, is the attitude. I don’t think anyone here is offended by being told the right terminology. What they probably all don’t like is being called names. You have been rude from the start, and I really don’t care if you feel it’s justified.

    Think about how Gandhi got shit done. It wasn’t by acting the way you have. You cannot expect every single person to a have a full background on this one subject. If the first poster just happened to know people had referred to that style as moko than that’s probably what they’d use. Not everyone will read every comment and every wiki on a subject. Some people just don’t care. I’m sure some irish folk feel cynical about the japanese celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, most people just don’t give a shit though.

    I’ve thought about this subject in the past and I don’t think I give a shit. They are lines on his face, and hopefully one day you can deal with the fact that some people are ignorant, or just don’t care. People will label it as they like.

  10. Jon P Avatar
    Jon P

    It’s funny that there have been three Maori voices here and all say the same thing.

  11. bradly Avatar
    bradly

    dammm dude u really r a losser i lied u swallow mario ,monkkey cock who gives a f-ck about ur dumb b-tch culture apperntly there are just 3 of u wack lame cry babies whah wha wha appertnly marioes are just a bunch of cry baby b-tches
    k

  12. bradly Avatar
    bradly

    so i did a bunch of reading on morie and what i came up with is thta ur great cultrued invented: herpe’s,siphlolis,goanaria and the boogie board which i really luv so thx for that 1….

  13. good friends and a bottle of pills Avatar
    good friends and a bottle of pills

    John Pee

    like i said before, don’t even touch the Academia factor. if you consider years of studying a “struggle” than you are weak minded. I have spent the last 9 years studying starting from the undergraduate level and currently completing my PHD thesis.

    I could be teaching you, bitch.

    I never thought of studying as a struggle, it was -and still is- the most fun time of my life. and yes cultivating your mind and spirit is an obligation towards yourself you little person.

    and what was that i read? fuck me? who, you? hahahaha, you make me laugh girl. i’ll fuck you, straight in the eye baby. you arrogant, uneducated short man. you are a bitch and bitches get bitchslapped. suck my fart. and then i’ll fuck your eye some more. just the left eye. i’ll poke out the right one and use it as a pissjug.

    i love you Jon Pee. You sound so strong and educated. here, eat some of my feces. there you go…eat it all. nice, warm and yummy.

    PS: did i tell you that my left leg is inked “maori style” from toes to thigh? am i a bad person Jon Pee? will you punish me verbally? fuck it dude, just for the fun of it, i’ll call my artist up right now and book a session to do some maori designs and post photos just so i can piss you off some more. I SWEAR I’LL DO IT.

  14. Jon P Avatar
    Jon P

    So do it, you crazy motherfucker. You’re all talk, bitch. You can’t teach me shit.

  15. MRC Avatar

    INTERNET TOUGH GUYS GET IT DONE

    Seriously can we not act like we can kick eachother’s asses. Not only is it immature it’s downright stupid.

  16. tattoojoe Avatar
    tattoojoe

    WOW what is going on here you guys are all fighting about nothing.you guys are totaly off the subject of what was even being talked about if you want to talk about stuff that is real and make seance hit me up on myspace physical graffiti tattoo on myspace thank you

  17. bradly Avatar
    bradly

    67 i AGREE with joe have sum coffe and run around the mulberry bush when ur done ring around the posey ashe’s…ashe’s we all fall down weeeeeeee….

  18. Jon P Avatar
    Jon P

    Hey TattooJoe, I don’t have a MySpace account so I can’t contact you through there, but fi you’d like to talk about ta moko and the many associated cultural aspects and spiritual bits-and-bobs, I’m totally down. No prejudice or anything, dude. There’s a lot of physical and cultural living history in my country I’m sure you’d be interested in 🙂

  19. bradly Avatar
    bradly

    ura joke why would he want to talkto a halfblood mixed want to be u said it urselfur ashemedof ur own roots with ur sell out want to be 5timeover carvinal act grandfather…..lol u suck and ur grandfather5times over swallowed lol what a sell out very funny come one come all only 25 cents to see BRANET BURNS..the 5times grandfthaer to Jon p he can juggle 3 apples while he sites d tapu and u get one free bag of popcorn to eat while u watch…lol u have nerve.. now understand lol very veryy very funny..i guess he didareal good jobof educateing usfools lol….but that was hischoice which u just verry easily shrug off andinstaed attack others here why dont u stop throwwing stones in a glass house and tell us all the exact cutuluraul story how barnnet burns f-cked some morie b-tch got sumtattoos and dthen dipped out of town to be acarnie…did i missanythingif so plz eduacate me Jon.P Burns

  20. bradly Avatar
    bradly

    qoute from jon p:”but some things can’t be bought and sold”: but ur grandfthaer sure could be lol ………. once aagain ur e mental midget lol but inderstand cuase when i tried to look up ur haiku ancsetorie this is all ic ould pull up= Burns was a borderline incompetent and egotistical doctor who blamed others for his own shortcomings= so can u plz fill me in on the rest of the charcters and what was ur favorite episode???

  21. rangiaho Avatar

    nice one tattoojoe, im glad you were inspired to get your face done maori styles. your are already better than most of the weak minded, colonized maori in nz. they threw it away in the rubbish many years ago. my personal views are that all maori should be wearing their birthrights, loud and proud, but, it is the culture that invaded us many years ago that dont like them, and will put you down for having your face done. you probably used to people’s stares and comments by now.

    i have my face done too, mine is nearly done, i just have my lips to fill in. you can google a picture of it, ” moko kanohi by rangiaho. ”

    anyway, dont let them basturds bring you down, wear it proud, moko ora

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