Japanese tattoos are the first form of pictorial tattooing, and while there are reports of tattooing in various forms dating back a couple thousand years, ukiyo-e imagery gained popularity in Japanese tattooing starting in the 17th century. As such, a lot of the subject matter is reminiscent of the imagery of the period, showing mythical creatures such as dragons, tigers, demons, but also depicting stories and fables of warriors, criminals or folk at the time. The intersection between beautifully described imagery and deep symbolism, Japanese tattooing has stood the test of time, not just because the tattoos look great on the wearer, but also because the subject matter means the tattoo will evolve and mature as you get older. With Bold backgrounds, offset by strong colour in the main symbols, Japanese tattooing is excellent for larger scale work such as backs, sleeves or legs. The boldness of this imagery and use of heavy black also makes it well suited for coverups.