Usagi Yojimbo DojoBoard

After reading the story Sakura and Noodles I was curious as to why the gamblers tattooed their bodies. I discovered that they were called Bakuto which was one of the two groups that started the Yakuza the other being the street peddlers. Anyhow that's all I was able to find out. Haven't found out why they tattooed their bodies.

I also remembered the chest wrappings that pic of Kitsune had on (it's the one with umbrella sword) and the one Sakura and the female gambler had on as well. Those chest wrappings are called sarashi, which were meant to cover and flatten the chest, sort of like a precursor to the modern day sports bra.

Now can anyone help me figure out why the gamblers tattooed their bodies please before I pull my hair out!?

The Yakuza felt that because tattooing was painful, it was a proof of courage; because it was permanent, it was evidence of lifelong loyalty to the group; and because it was illegal, it made them outlaws forever.

http://www.vanishingtattoo.com/tattoo_m ... ttoos.html

Just one of the many pages that came up in a search for Tattoo history Japan, might be other pages with even more detailed information.

EDIT - With the gamblers who preceded the rise of the yakuza, the tattoos could be either religious (permanent prayer for luck) or penal (record of past criminal convictions) or even fashionable since the tattoos had not ben officially outlawed yet.

Cool! Thank you for the help!

Got anything to add about kimonos?