From the CNN website: ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- A worrisome superbug seen in prisoners and athletes is also showing up in people who get illegal tattoos, federal health officials said Thursday.

Forty-four tattoo customers in Ohio, Kentucky and Vermont developed skin infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Complete article text here.

Well, that'll learn ya to get tattooed at unlicensed spots. It brings back not-so-fond memories of my first two tattoos. The first was by my own hand, done with a needle and India ink. The second was done by some crackhead biker in his basement on my back, behind my left shoulder. Of course, both of those look incredibly crude. It's quite unfortunate that the one on my back is still visible underneath by current piece. I absolutely regret them. But what can you do - I've moved on. Tattoos are for life! I guess you don't think about those things so much at 16. At least I didn't get a nasty infection, or hepatitis or something.

I thought you might get a laugh out of this postcard my roommate sent me from Germany, where he proposes a novel explanation for my upcoming move out of our loft. The only other people who might be accused of harboring strange sexual fetishes more often than the Germans are the Japanese - I suppose that makes them unsurprising collaborators in bringing this unusual bit imagery to my doorstep.

I met with Shinji today to begin fleshing out the details of the next phase. We entertained the idea of working a goldfish into the tattoo. It fits the river scene and is a subtle pun on the main theme (Kintaro is literally, "Golden Boy"). But after some discussion we decided it wasn't really a traditional design element and opted for more koi. Then there was the matter of how many koi. Shinji explained that only some numbers of koi would make for a good design and that 1,2,3,5 and 7 were all good numbers. We settled on 7. With 2 koi already on my back, that leaves 5 for the front. Perhaps a rock will be jutting out from one of the lower edges. We discussed other items which might fit into the scene. Definitely more maple leaves. A frog? A turtle? Kappa or crabs? As we spoke, Shinji began working on a sketch of the layout in his sketchbook. He also spent some time sketching directly on my skin with a brush-tip marker. He took some photos for reference and we were done. I scheduled a few appointments in August to begin the outlining work, but I will be stopping by the studio for more discussions with him and to see preliminary sketches.

The real question left for me is the length of the sleeves. Today when I spoke with Shinji, we decided on shichibu, or "seven tenths" style, which would extend approximately 2-4 inches past my elbow (as illustrated in my last post on munewari style). Shinji and I both think this length looks best. The only problem is, it is difficult to conceal. It would absolutely be visible when wearing my usual casual clothes (t-shirt), and would probably be visible through a white long sleeve shirt - making it a potential issue at work. So my practical side is forcing me to reevaluate. Decisions, decisions. I may need to buy a few more blue shirts for work.

So what is munewari? Munewari (literally "chest dividing") is a tattoo style which covers the front of the torso while leaving the center of the chest untouched. The grey areas in the illustration to the left represent tattoo. The shape is meant to conceal the tattoo when traditional clothing such as a kimono is worn. As a matter of practicality, I confess the shape has become an anachronism. You're not likely to see many folks in kimono outside of the rare formal occasion. But the style is unique to Japanese tattoo and I think quite stunning visually, which no doubt has contributed to it's longevity - it is still a commonly tattooed style. This shape will connect to the border of my existing back piece - imagine my current tattoo "growing" around the sides of my torso and towards the middle of my chest. Note the shout out in the picture to one of my favorite anime movies...I couldn't resist.

Munewari style broadly defines the outlines of the tattoo on the torso, but there are many options which still need to be considered. Will there be sleeves, and it so, how long will they be? What length and shape will the tattoo take on the legs? In what style will the border of the background be drawn? More on those things as they come into focus.

After 34 sessions or approximately 80 hours of tattoo work, Shinji and I have finally finished my back piece. I hope I speak for us both when I say I'm incredibly pleased with the results. I have nothing but respect and admiration for Shinji, gained not only by my growing appreciation of his craft but by his professional and friendly demeanor which have made these two years an enjoyable experience. Three "banzai" cheers for Horizakura!

Over the past two years I've been surprised by my own perseverance. Back when I started I wasn't so sure that I would be able to finish. Perhaps the tattoo itself bestows the properties of strength and perseverance, acting as a talisman of sorts. Kintoki is strong but gentle, and the koi graceful even while struggling upstream. I will certainly need these qualities as I prepare to start another large project with Shinji.

It's too early in the planning stage to share many details at this point, but as the name of this blog suggests I do intend for the next portion to be munewari style. For those of you who don't know what that is, please stop back by in a few days for an explanation.

Hi folks, welcome to my new blog. The topic will be my continuing exploration of traditional style Japanese tattoo (usually refered to as horimono or irezumi). The first two years of my tattoo experience were covered in my personal blog, Metaken. As I'm about to begin another phase of tattooing, I thought this would be a good time to start a new blog which could be more focused topically. I hope you enjoy.

Site feed link is http://munewari.blogspot.com/atom.xml .