Irezumi, Subdermals, Mutilation... and its underground connections

This week’s article will be focusing on Irezumi (a style of tattoo), Pearling, self mutilation and its connections with the Japanese underground crime organisations called the Yakuza. 

(One might ask if Yakuza can be considered a subculture; I’m not sure of that myself, but this blog more interested in the body modifications they practice as a group, which include sporting Irezumi tattoos, self mutilation by cutting off their fingers and penile implants (although called pearling, can also be a form of subdermal implant))

Disclaimer: this article might have some ‘shock’ value to it.

I first came to know about the Yakuza through the pioneering work on body modifications, Modern Primitives by REsearch publications body modifcation. It was an article about male genital subdermal implants; they were probably interested in 'modern' body modification practiced outside the US, and the article was trying to show what 'pearling' was-  the insertion of pearls underneath the skin of the shaft of the penis. 

The article states that this was practiced by Yakuza members who've been in jail, although actually there have been accounts of this done among inmates in western countries as well 

“Men who have been in the Yakuza often go to prison for various reasons- these are the lower class that take the fall for their boss. And in prison they do these penile implants- take a pearl and insert it under their skin for every year they’ve been in jail… they carve down a chopstick or toothbrush to a very sharp point, split the skin...lift the skin up and away, insert the pearl and then bandage it so the skin heals over and the area resembles a really big wart!” (Vale, 156-157) (actual origins of this practice are as yet unclear) 

Another, though admittedly less 'extreme' form of body modification which stylistically is attributed to Japan is the Irezumi tattoo- that is, Japanese styled tattoos which are meant to cover a large part of body area eg. upper arms, torso, limbs etc. and have specific placement and style (Themes particular to japan like Samurai, Geisha, cherry blossom, wave patterns etc) to it. Traditionally, these tattoos are collected over many years and are hand carved into the skin, but this has been overshadowed in favor of the electric tattoo needle method of late, and tattoos are faster to complete.

What Pearling and Irezumi have in common is the fact that these two modifications are found to be practiced among those who are members of the Yakuza- the Japanese 'underground' mafia who actually have alot of control in Japan. V.Vales interview in Modern Primitives perhaps gives an explanation as to why they sport these modifications

In terms of looking at “form, content and function” in Yakuza ‘style’ through objects and practices, the two are difficult to connect.

Other than the self mutilation of shopping off their fingers, Irezumi and subdermal implanting are merely cultural practices adopted by the Yakuza- not everyone sporting Irezumi or Pearling belong to Yakuza,for example, even though Irezumi has an 'underground' status, it is one of the less popular tradition of body art that Japan has.  Especially also since the popularity of Irezumi has spread, in recent times, out of the the Japanese culture. In fact, Horiyoshi III, a renowned Irezumi tattoo artist, exchanged tattoo styles and ideas with Don Ed Hardy, who introduced him to modern tattooing methods. (Nothing to do with Yakuza in particular, just find this point interesting - nothing is ever isolated)

However, perhaps a link can be drawn between a Yakuza member's 'hidden' body modifications, for they are careful not to show their tattoos in public and the fact that they (traditionally) operate underground. So its the whole 'unseen but still there' element to it? Furthermore take into consideration that Japanese culture till today is largely unaccepting of tattoos, and visible tattoos impede one's ability to get an office job, another important aspect in Japanese society. The careful placement of Irezumi means that it can be covered up with long sleeved shirt and long pants - on the streets, unless one was observing very carefully you may or may not even know if a person has Irezumi. However, the distinct style of the tattoo also has its connotations and perhaps gives the wearer a sense of identity with the gang he's associated with.  

	Form	Content	Function
Objects	Irezumi Tattoo	Traditional Japanese themes selected from myths, legends and Japanese symbology	For men: To prove manliness - able to withstand the pain of being tattooed (According to Hiroyoshi) As a way to identify Yakuza members (according to Heather Macdonald)
	Self mutilation	Sign of repentance toward bosses if something goes wrong	Prove loyalty to group and boss
	Pearling (genital beading)	Subdermal implants of beads/ pearls along the genitals	Signify how many years spent in jail, by way of distinguishing oneself, perhaps?
Practices	Organised Crime	Political connections, Gambling, Skin trade, manipulation of stock market etc	Gain wealth and power for organisation

Homology of the Yakuza

Ideology

Because the Yakuza organisations are hierarchical, the ‘big bosses’ and leaders of the organisations tend to hold white collar, executive, managerial positions, while their underlings are recruited from the ‘working’ or ‘blue collar’ class, recruited from juvenile delinquents or japanese biker gangs- the agenda of being on the wrong side of the law is present from the start

Objects

It is difficult to recognize Yakuza outwardly, since they hide their Irezumi Tattoos with the clothes the wear, and prosthetics to replace missing fingers, genital implants will not be seen by the public.

Practices:

Dominating the underground scene, gambling, organised crime through political and economic manipulation, and ‘protection money’ collecting.

I think it is difficult to say in the end if the 'style' and practices are directly relational- certainly body modifications are hardly indicative of crimminal behaviour- it just seems like for some reason through stereotypes, or the fact that the Yakuza have appropriated these 'objects' in the culture so significantly that one thinks of 'yakuza' when they see or come into contact with an 'Irezumi' reference, although for me personally I would associate the pearling and self mutilation more with the undergorund denizens just because the tattoo culture of Irezumi seems to have manifested in many different forms these days and so many other people wear it- but this also comes from a more global context, perhaps in Japan where tattoos are still highly disapproved of does it have stronger associations with the Yakuza.


Links and Sources

Vale, V. Juno, Andrea. Heather Macdonald, Modern Primitives. RE/Search. San Fransico. 1989. (p 156, 157)

For more Irezumi Images: 
http://artofirezumi.tumblr.com/

http://fuckyeahirezumi.tumblr.com

Some Writing about Irezumi
http://tattoo.yoso.eu/oriental-irezumi-and-occidental-tattooing-in-contemporary-japan

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/japan/130502/yakuza-fukuoka-gang-wars

Journal Articles:

Adelstein, Jake. Noorbakhsh, Sarah. The Last Yakuza. World Policy Journal. Summer2010, Vol. 27 Issue 2, p63-71. 9p.

Hill, Peter. The Changing Face of the Yakuza. Global Crime; Feb2004, Vol. 6 Issue 1, p97-116, 20p

 

"One is not born, but rather, becomes a woman"

What do you get when you combine these two images ?

  

Probably something like this: 

http://fyeahaltlolita.tumblr.com/
http://yourpervert.tumblr.com/

Lolita fashion Crash Course: 

The girl in the very first picture is dressed in 'Lolita' fashion, a style which, in its early forms emerged in the 1990s in Harajuku, a district in Shibuya, Tokyo well known for its street or alternative fashion. It is a style that evolved from and is closely connected with Visual Kei artists and inspired by Victorian silhouttes, themes and prints. Mana, the front man of popular Visual Kei band Malice Mizer has been one of the pioneers in developing and promoting the fashion- he wears the style himself, and co founded Moi Meme Moitie, a premium and well loved Lolita clothing brand. Lolita fashion combines the elements of 'girly' innocence and cuteness with Victorian aesthetics (the 'bell' shaped full skirt achieved by wearing layers of  fluffy petticoats is a defining factor of the style) and caters largely to a female audience. "Conservatism" is considered important to the Lolita look, and wearers of the fashion often place huge importance of not showing shoulders and knees, though on the other hand the silhoutte and print of dresses are often over the top and can be very elaborate. Lolita is an umbrella term which has various sub-styles such as 'Gothic Lolita', 'Classic Lolita', 'Sweet Lolita', and 'Punk Lolita'. 

It has been said that the Lolita style is worn by girls who reject the image of a sexualised female so prevalent in society, and want to draw focus on the more 'innocent' manifestations of being female. Simply put, girls do not have to be 'sexy' or wear revealing clothing to identify with being feminine, because girls can also show their feminity through being 'sweet' or 'cute', thus the importance of covering up shoulders, arms and legs in the fashion - the point of Lolita is not to look 'sexy', or even 'slim' for the matter (the fashion creates bulk on the body through layering of clothing although paradoxically Lolita brands only cater to girls of a certain Asian petite size) and the baring of shoulders and chest area is generally frowned upon in the Lolita community and among prominent Japanese Lolitas. 

http://octavekitten.tumblr.com/

Modified Lolitas

Outside of Japan, there is a significant international following of the fashion (thanks to the internet), we shall refer to them as being part of the 'international Lolita community'. It is in the international community that deviances from the 'prescribed lolita look' can be found- one of its manifestations is that select group of girls who sport multiple piercings or tattoos and wear Lolita. Although this look is relatively uncommon, they still do exist and the topic of 'combining' styles of being modified and wearing Lolita have surfaced for debate in the international community once in awhile (I have not studied Japanese Lolita communities and forums in this aspect mostly because the Japanese Lolita community do not often interact with the international and their websites are difficult to access, but from observation of Japanese street fashion websites, piercings and tattoos are relatively uncommon and when spotted hardly among the people who wear lolita). From observing forum discussions about 'Modified Lolitas', there seem to be these main ideas

1. Girls who personally do not like or engage in tattoos and piercings, but think it is OK for others to wear the style as the choose - being the most popular standpoint

2. Girls who do not like tattoos and piercings and think that 'Lolita' and 'Modifications' do not go together

3. Girls who profess enthusiasm about the look, and may or may not be 'modified' themselves.

The point of contention is that tattoos and piercings do not fit in with the 'standard' lolita look projected by leading Japanese lolitas and magazines, and possibly also the idea that Tattoos and piercings, often associated with its painful process, isnt feminine and goes against Lolita aesthetics. After all, very much about the lolita style has got to do with looking 'cute' and perhaps socially tattoos and piercings are deemed as 'not cute'

Personally, what I see going on here is that perceptions of what one deems as ‘feminine’ or ‘girly’ or ‘cute’ is up for contention. These people are putting forth what the ‘feminine’ look (within the context of what lolita fashion should be) and telling other Lolitas that they think that is the way the fashion should be. While modified lolitas are taking these ideas of the ideal ‘lolita’ look, and challenging it by wearing their piercings and tattoos prominently, while still showing that they identify with Lolita and do not love fashion any less than the girls who do not have modifications.

Much like ‘girl zines’ from Schilt’s reading, the Lolita community, be it through Livejournal groups or real-life regional meetups, ideally creates a space where it is ‘acceptable’ for girls to express themselves, hang out with each other and not feel judged by society who do not understand what the fashion is about. They get to dress in poof, lace and frills with people who share the same fashion aesthetics. The paradox arises then that while they accept dressing different from the mainstream society, they discriminate against others in their group who look different from them. Even though when it comes to it, both lolita fashion and body modifications are a reaction against mainstream ideas on what ‘looking good’ should be.

It is true that Lolita is a rather exclusive fashion because of its acquired look and the fact that it requires alot of money to dress in Lolita- furthermore there are very strict codes to its fashion that, due to the relative exclusivity of it makes any form of deviance from the ‘rules’ deemed unacceptable. Although the nature of the fashion itself is why it most caters to girls, the girl-on-girl discrimmination seems a little bit anti-feminist, even as by claiming to reject the ‘mainstream’ image of femininity Lolitas are buying to feminist ideals?

Subcultural Appropriation?

We’ve all heard about “culture appropriation”, but can this be applied to subculture and body modification? After all it is generally acknowledged that most Lolitas do not wear the fashion regularly or as part of their daily style, and some of them do wear other styles, be it Japanese street fashion or not. So, what modified Lolitas are doing is taking different, contrasting subculture fashions and channeling it their own style, which in a way is more original that just strictly adhering to one style (but whatever floats your boat). There is a particular line in Schilt’s article which quotes that zine making allows girls to   

“Move away from being passive consumers and encourages them to be cultural producers who make cultural products relevant to their own lives”

I wonder if that can be applied to a modified lolita as well?

As a modified Lolita...

I used to wear Lolita and still do identify with being one though I have since switched to another style closely related to it.  I did not have a single piercing when I first wore Lolita, and unlike other Lolitas, I got into the style myself and did not know anyone personally, even in the Singapore community. It was only until recently I got to know other girls in the Singapore comm, but  I think I’m probably the only Lolita in Singapore who has visible piercings, though others might have tattoos that cannot be seen when they wear lolita. Personally I never thought that I was ‘mixing’ styles, though someone from the outside might say that. I was just doing what felt ‘natural’ to me, I don’t even identify with any other style than Lolita. Dressing a certain way is just a matter of dress choice, it doesn’t affect my interest in body modifications, or the way that I act or live, which is far from ‘girly, demure, feminine’ or ‘goody two shoes’ more the matter, and all those things associated with looking cute or innocent which Lolita is associated with. At the end of the day, I just want to look the way I want to look.

(very) selected links:

Modded Loli discussion (Tattoos in Lolita) http://egl.livejournal.com/18005356.html

Modified Lolitas:  

http://fyeahaltlolita.tumblr.com/

Are you..."Modified"?

"Body Modification" is, in the first place, a problematic term.

It could range from 'acceptable' practices like orthodontic treatment and corrective surgery.

It could also include what people commonly know as "plastic surgery", where modification is done to enhance features, or achieve a look that is deemed attractive, or desirous to a larger part of the society.

My own interest in body modification has almost nothing to do with wanting to look more attractive to the larger general part of society, and more to do with individual self expression through deviance from what is deemed 'normal'. It has more to do with body art through commonly, tattoos, piercings including also derivatives from it like scarification, human branding, human suspension, subdermal implants but not strictly limited to these practices.  In most cases they are not medical procedures and are usually done for aesthetic purposes, and many of these 'painful' modifications are done without the use of anesthesia.

In the strictest sense it would be difficult to classify all who engage in such modifications as a cohesive subculture, because body modification exists in various "subcultures" (although this blog recognises that  the term subculture can be questioned as well) But what sets it apart and is a point of interest for me is its deviation from the society a particular modified person is, and what constitutes one to be considered 'modified'?

Of course one cannot discount that everything is highly subjective and arbitrary the extent as to what constitutes as a modification is also difficult to measure. For the sake of this blog, anyway, that a person may be considered 'modified' if he or she does something to change the appearance of their body which deviates from what the society/culture/body of people they exist in practice. The very act of, for example getting a tattoo in a society where it is not a common practice already is an intended deviance, whether or not the person consciously identifies with being part of a 'modified subculture' or a subculture that practices body modification.

A simple example- a female getting a nostril piercing in India would not be considered 'deviant' as it is practiced by generations of women and is common place and widely accepted in most parts of the country. The same cannot be said of a Chinese female getting her nose pierced as the particular piercing is not typical of the culture. Another example would be the male circumcision of non Islam or Jewish practitioners - the act of circumcision remains the same, but the intention behind it may be personal more than religious, and not connected to one's identity as a larger group collective.

So perhaps 'Modified' isnt the term to use, because how does one measure what constitutes being modified? Obvious examples are easily identified but would a simple piercing, or a small tattoo count?

What would be a more appropriate term would be a deviance from the majority in terms of body modification through 'body art' or 'decoration' - I find this more encompassing of individuals and various subcultures that would allow one to explore the breadth of what modification could possibly include, and to what extent it is practised.

Bennet's articles cites 'neo tribalism' as being "tied inherently to the origins of mass consumerism during the immediate post-Second World War period..." Which ultimately links with the idea that more often than not most people do not merely subscribe to a single form of social deviancy* anymore. Which is why this study on modifications prefers not to be limited to certain groups of people, rather using modification as a baseline to see how it manifests among various people. This goes along with the notion that "the sheer range of consumer choices now exist with the onset of a postmodern age and attendant postmodern sensibilities" People are just as able to 'consume culture' as they do with products, and this can be applied with people who are into body modification- they may engage in other subcultures where tattoos or piercings would not be a normality; for examples girls who are into Lolita fashion but have extensive tattoos or multiple piercings which somewhat does not fit in with the Lolita code of fashion- similarly not all people who identify as being a 'punk' get piercings and tattoos.

Furthermore, I also recognise body modification as an example of a 'magical solution'. Assuming that people get modifications as a marker of individuality, as a way of expressing that they are 'different' from the majority- it also makes the majority of society see them as different, and ultimately that is where body mod discrimination comes into the picture- it solves nothing  for the people who practice body modification as they still have to live within that society, and function according to those norms.  

*Note that my use of the term 'deviant' is a rather loose term and has less to do with the notion of deviancy/ delinquency than it has with more of wanting to be, or to do something different