ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Japanese tattoo

A Japanese tattoo is a special type of art that people put on their skin to make them look cool or to express important things about themselves.

The way they make a Japanese tattoo is different than most tattoos. First, they draw a design on a special kind of paper. They then put the paper onto the skin and poke tiny holes in it with a special needle. This is so that the design can be traced onto the skin. Then, they use special ink and tattoo over the design.

Japanese tattoos can be very big and cover lots of skin. They can have all sorts of things in the design, like dragons, tigers, or flowers. People who get these tattoos often have a lot of respect for Japanese culture and history because these tattoos have been around for a very long time!