InkSmith Journal delves into the deep-rooted tattoo traditions of Southeast Asia and the world, from ancient practices to modern revival, connecting past and present through ink. From the sacred Sak Yant of Thailand to the lost tattooing traditions of Vietnam and the bold artistry of irezumi, tattooing has always been a language of its own.
Hajichi: The Forbidden Ink of Ryukyuan Women
How tattoos became a battleground of memory, gender, and resistance under Japanese colonization
Before it was renamed and absorbed into Japan, the Ryukyu Kingdom thrived as a maritime culture with deep spiritual roots and distinct traditions. Among its most profound was Hajichi (針突) — a tattooing practice carried by Ryukyuan women for centuries, literally written on the skin in lines of beauty, power, and ancestral protection.
Today, these marks have all but vanished from living bodies. But the story they tell — of erasure, resilience, and reclamation — is far from over.