Horishi Kiku, the Tattooist (1804-1826) Horishi Kiku knew from the time she was a small girl, that she would practice the art of Japanese body engraving. Her father did not approve of this choice as her life would be closely tied to criminals and prostitutes; however she was determined to follow this path. He reluctantly agreed to set up an apprenticeship with a respected tattoo master, Horimata. The first morning Kiku tattooed her own flesh with designs taken from her master's book, she knew something was extraordinary about them. She tattooed several swirling clouds, and within moments of the pain easing from her thigh, the evening sun was blotted out by grey clouds which swirled in a supernatural way. She tattooed several white chrysanthemums onto her ankles and there, within hours white chrysanthemums appeared overflowing her master's garden. She tattooed koi onto her legs and again, koi appeared in what was a dried up pond outside her window. Exactly one year after her apprenticeship began, Horimata felt that Kiku was ready and would tattoo his next client. He instructed her to shave her head and wear a bulky robe to hide her female form. She was forbidden to speak to the client, as he would hear her voice. The client came in, took off his shirt, and sat silently as Kiku slowly, with her hands shaking, tattooed the outline a dragon onto his back. The client never returned. Rumours of his mysterious and violent death soon followed. Highly distraught, Kiku could not return to work. Her master beat her daily, demanding she repay her debt to him and his family for her training. On the night before her 22nd birthday, Kiku tattooed a poisonous snake onto her chest. She died quietly in her sleep that night. |