Martha Cooper - Tokyo Tattoo 1970

Martha Cooper
Tokyo Tattoo 1970

Published by Dokument Press, April 2025
Size: 17 x 28 cm
72 pages
Language: English
ISBN: 9789189944046

Tokyo Tattoo 1970 by renowned photographer Martha Cooper is a book about the traditional art of tattooing and a rare portrait of a master artist. It offers a unique glimpse into the world of traditional Japanese tattooing in Tokyo in 1970, and is a collection of photographs capturing the Japanese art of Irezumi (often associated with the Yakuza, but also widely recognized for its cultural and artistic significance).

Martha Cooper arrived in Tokyo in 1969. She quickly became interested in the local art of tattooing and began documenting the work of traditional Japanese tattooist Horibun I, who worked with traditional Japanese methods, creating hand-made tattoos with bundles of different-sized needles tied to sticks that he dipped in colored inks. His designs are taken from traditional Japanese legends; preface by Aiko Ishikawa, black and white and color photos.

Tokyo Tattoo 1970 tells the story of a Japanese master tattoo artist and his work. It shows him at work, with his clients, their tattoos, and follows Horibun I on a pilgrimage to a holy Shinto shrine. Martha Cooper's crisp images show the tattoo artist's work process as well as the finished designs and results in a unique and stunning story of traditional Japanese tattooing technique. The hardcover edition of Tokyo Tattoo 1970, released in 2011, has been out of print for years and is considered a collector's item. Finally, the paperback edition is here, making this unique collection available to a new generation of tattoo fans.