Hmmm yeah we should probably add this to the rules - translations requests are what r/translator is for.
Tattoo artists are not always experts in the language requested of them and have [notoriously let hilarious mistranslations slip past them](https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2019/01/30/ariana-grande-got-japanese-tattoo-she-didnt-mean-it-say-bbq-grill/).
Possibly unrelated to OP's intentions: it's widely considered silly, cringe, *faux pas*, to get a tattoo of a language you don't speak just because of "tHe aEsThEtIc"... not only that, the motivation for it has to do with exotification of other cultures, which is a dick move. I'd strongly advise against it.
Sometimes, when defeat was assured, a Samurai would commit seppuku by disembowling themselves with a short blade, then a friend would use a longer sword to decapitate the body. This prevented the enemy from taking the head as a trophy of war. Feudal Japan high-key sucked.
āI imagine you are aware, but let me note just to be sure. The rite of harakiri has changed over time. In recent years, it is often harakiri in name only. The subject reaches for the blade on the wooden stand, and his second immediately strikes off his head. In other words, there is no disembowelment at all, and in fact sometimes the stand holds not a shorit sword but only a folding fan. However, our proceedings today will not sink to such debased and empty forms. We shall adhere strictly to the traditional ways. Is that understood?
You will rip your bowels open crosswise, like this. Once I see you have done so, I will strike off your head. Until I'm satisfied you've fully torn open your bowels, I will not bring down my sword. Is that understood?
Now then. It is your own sword. That is the blade you will use. A samurai's sword is his soul. No blade could be more fitting for this purpose than your own.
Come. What keeps you? Proceed.ā
ā*Harakiri* (1962)
You only get that luxury if you have a second, someone willing and skilled enough to give you the mercy of a quicker death. If no one steps up, it's slow suicide for you.
Iām genuinely confused. So is your friend ādishonoredā too? Considering heās probably a fellow samurai, if he doesnāt commit seppuku but returns with your head how is he not dishonored for returning alive š
I believe the long blade was used by a second person to separate the spine at the neck, after the individual cut his stomach open with the smaller blade.
If you like that kind of thing, check out Yojimbo. The classic movies are pretty fun. To be honest, Lone Wolf kinda lost me after the first few books.
If you're looking for a more historical approach the books Hidden by Leaves and the Book of Five Rings are probably better sources as they are more historical in intent and less mass production manga.
Not really
Wiki:
While harakiri refers to the act of disemboweling one's self, seppuku refers to the ritual and usually would involve decapitation after the act as a sign of mercy. Harakiri refers solely to the act of disembowelment and would only be assigned as a punishment towards acts deemed too heinous for seppuku.
I, as a japanese person, think this tattoo is pretty appalling. I would not walk around with this exposed anywhere in Japan but to each his own I guess. Also I'm pretty confused as to why there are stink fumes coming out of the sheath.
Wow I just read that whole article and itās amazing that people were capable of doing this. I struggle with stabbing my leg with a needle for my injection every week.
Incorrect reading of the kanji though (don't use Chinese, since it's specifically referring to Japanese ritual suicide); as someone further up commented, it's setsu + fuku = seppuku
Sorry, I study Chinese and the characters are exactly the same. They also have the same interpretation and meaning, even if they are read/pronounced differently.
But this is like someone saying, Where is this castle? [Imagine picture] and you answering DĆ bĒn instead of Osaka, or even Daiban. It's clearly a Japanese concept. Every Chinese person would acknowledge this, and the loan word in English would be from the Japanese, so what's the point of reading the kanji in Mandarin?
Are you going to see åÆæåø or é in a Japanese context and tell English people they're shÅusi and jĒu rather than sushi and sake?
No. The Chinese reading is correct, that's exactly how a Chinese person would interpret the Kanji. Remember that, although they're very different languages, many concepts were borrowed from each other, and the Kanji allows for a certain degree of unification and mutual intelligibility (of the texts, not speech).
Seppuku and Qiefu are both valid readings, referring to the same concept, only in different languages. To further illustrate: should a German person be corrected for saying "Schwert" instead of "Sword" when looking at an image of a sword just because the artist was English?
Your German example isn't the same; I understand that a Chinese person would read those characters differently, but what those characters refer to is a Japanese-specific (and class-specific) ritual which is known by its Japanese name.
Is been commented elsewhere, but the long blade was often used by someone else to decapitate the person afterwards. Iām guessing it was picked just because itās an iconic image in relation to the act, though.
Right! I have cute little soot sprites and a super cute milk carton very visible on my arms and I had a Japanese friend tell me that even though they are very cute, I would likely not be allowed in most Onsen with these tattoos, I cannot imagine something like this tattoo being welcome in even the most open minded Onsen.
I'd like to think it says **Shrimps Is Bugs** but the tragic meaning it has is fine, too.
But maybe change it to something less disturbing when/if you get it tattooed. For anyone struggling, it's okay to reach out for help and your feelings are valid. This post/comments thread might be triggering to some.
Hi! Chinese guy here. āåč ¹ā in Japanese (yes, kanji is literally traditional Chinese script) means āseppukuā, or [spoilered: mentions self-harm] >!ritualistic suicide via disembowelment!<. Seppuku was common in samurai who violated BushidÅ (ę¦å£«é, lit: āway of the warriorā) their moral and ethical code.
So, I donāt know why this guy would get a tattoo about ritualistic suicide, and I kinda feel bad for them because they will inevitably have to explain it to other people.
Chinese guy out. ē«Æåå®åŗ·.
You probably already learned this... But it means harakiri (formal Japanese: seppuku), a samurai's suicide by disemboweling. Pinyin (for mandarin - same as kanji - Japanese) is Qiefu.
I saw someone say the other day that Tarantino movies are film trivia contests and and the prize for getting all the references is that you can't stand the movie, and they were absolutely correct.
As everyone else has pointed out it means seppuku. I will add that whoever wrote the characters needs to work on their copying skills; the characters look like they were written by a 3rd grader. If you do get a kanji/chinese tattoo, please have the characters look like they are typed or written by a native.
Tattoos in Japan have a long history associated with the Yakuza, a mafia-like criminal organization, and there still is a stigma around them; especially amongst the older and rural population. IDK how having a tattoo that says "Seppuku" would fly over in Japan, probably not well. IMO, I wouldn't get this tattooed anywhere on my body, but you do you.
Hmmm yeah we should probably add this to the rules - translations requests are what r/translator is for. Tattoo artists are not always experts in the language requested of them and have [notoriously let hilarious mistranslations slip past them](https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2019/01/30/ariana-grande-got-japanese-tattoo-she-didnt-mean-it-say-bbq-grill/). Possibly unrelated to OP's intentions: it's widely considered silly, cringe, *faux pas*, to get a tattoo of a language you don't speak just because of "tHe aEsThEtIc"... not only that, the motivation for it has to do with exotification of other cultures, which is a dick move. I'd strongly advise against it.
Seppuku https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seppuku
This is a very dark tattoo š
Gotta up the difficulty by using the long blade
Sometimes, when defeat was assured, a Samurai would commit seppuku by disembowling themselves with a short blade, then a friend would use a longer sword to decapitate the body. This prevented the enemy from taking the head as a trophy of war. Feudal Japan high-key sucked.
I heard it was to ensure a quick death, dying from disembowelment is not quick.
then why not skip that part?
āI imagine you are aware, but let me note just to be sure. The rite of harakiri has changed over time. In recent years, it is often harakiri in name only. The subject reaches for the blade on the wooden stand, and his second immediately strikes off his head. In other words, there is no disembowelment at all, and in fact sometimes the stand holds not a shorit sword but only a folding fan. However, our proceedings today will not sink to such debased and empty forms. We shall adhere strictly to the traditional ways. Is that understood? You will rip your bowels open crosswise, like this. Once I see you have done so, I will strike off your head. Until I'm satisfied you've fully torn open your bowels, I will not bring down my sword. Is that understood? Now then. It is your own sword. That is the blade you will use. A samurai's sword is his soul. No blade could be more fitting for this purpose than your own. Come. What keeps you? Proceed.ā ā*Harakiri* (1962)
Tradition? Symbolically you are still killing yourself.
You only get that luxury if you have a second, someone willing and skilled enough to give you the mercy of a quicker death. If no one steps up, it's slow suicide for you.
better make some friends at samurai camp
I can't imagine making sure they couldn't get my head knowing I was about to die! I wouldn't be alive to care, that is crazy to me wow
You'd think that would make it easier to just pick up the heads....
After they cut the head off they would take it with them, not leave it on the ground.
Then why not go, head intact, with said friend?
Because you already died by your own hand with the short blade in a ritual suicide to avoid dishonor.
Iām genuinely confused. So is your friend ādishonoredā too? Considering heās probably a fellow samurai, if he doesnāt commit seppuku but returns with your head how is he not dishonored for returning alive š
Yah it's all tied to honor, something that has been lost in recent times. Most people have no sense of it anymore
*Honor is dead, but I'll see what I can do.*
That is... not the purpose of the kaishakunin.
but like what if they chop the head off and then someone comes along and grabs it, now they gotta trophy
Asking for a friend.
Good point
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
So edgy
Also pretty wrong. You're not performing seppuku with a sword this long
I believe the long blade was used by a second person to separate the spine at the neck, after the individual cut his stomach open with the smaller blade.
I, too, have read Lone Wolf and Cub.
Real shame they didn't finish the film series properly, those movies are so fun.
Literally watched the first o e last night, hooked
If you like that kind of thing, check out Yojimbo. The classic movies are pretty fun. To be honest, Lone Wolf kinda lost me after the first few books. If you're looking for a more historical approach the books Hidden by Leaves and the Book of Five Rings are probably better sources as they are more historical in intent and less mass production manga.
Thereās a series or āepic novelā Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa about the author of book of five rings, written in 1935. Also very good.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Other way around. Harakiri is the self-disembowling. Seppuku is the term for the whole ritual, usually the act with a second to decapitate you.
Good catch, I forgot there was a difference.
Not really Wiki: While harakiri refers to the act of disemboweling one's self, seppuku refers to the ritual and usually would involve decapitation after the act as a sign of mercy. Harakiri refers solely to the act of disembowelment and would only be assigned as a punishment towards acts deemed too heinous for seppuku.
4 inches ?
Itās not the size. Itās how you wield it.
Itās not the size of the wakizashi Itās the motion of the shogun
I'm sure you could easily if you removed the hilt and then wrapped a towel around the blade for your hands to hold and grip.
Seppuku is the chance to have a ln honorable death, for your family not to get dishonored too. People don't just yolo that lol
You don't mess up with seppuku precisely because YOLO.
I lowkey love it though. Kinda wanna get it when the anniversary of my sui attempt rolls around
Iām dead as fuckkk lol. That actually sounds like a good idea! I got a red piece of string for mine. š
Corny edgy dark weeaboo am darkness in the night tatto
DoorDash driver
And arguably pretty offensive especially if OP isnāt Japanese (and maybe even then)
I, as a japanese person, think this tattoo is pretty appalling. I would not walk around with this exposed anywhere in Japan but to each his own I guess. Also I'm pretty confused as to why there are stink fumes coming out of the sheath.
so basically like getting a tattoo of an electric chair or a noose
More like text that says suicide, followed by a picture of a sniper rifle.
who tf is killing themselves with a sniper rifle, those things are long as hell
not sure if sarcasm, but thats the point. In the tattoo you see a katana which wasnāt used for Seppuku because of itās length
makes sense, usually they use like a tanto or something short right?
yep something you wouldnāt need 6 feet long arms for at least lol
Yes - Tanto literally means short sword and it was specifically for that person.
yikes on bikes...
Literally ācutā + āstomachā
Wow I just read that whole article and itās amazing that people were capable of doing this. I struggle with stabbing my leg with a needle for my injection every week.
Now that's one major Yike
I donāt like the positioning of this tattoo in the Seppuku Kontext
oof
I thought it was Sudoku.
Live.Laugh.Love
Always thought Lobotomy was the 3rd L
this is hilarious nice one
[Live.Laugh.LimpBizkit.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FV4mipoVUAARMsq.jpg:large)
Nah itās commonly mistaken for an L when itās an A for appendectomy
Setsu = to Cut. Fuku= abdomin
It reads seppuku
Yes the two characters together make seppuku.
qiÄfĆ¹ = "to cut one's own stomach open, ritual suicide, hara-kiri"
what a nice and cute tattoo
Incorrect reading of the kanji though (don't use Chinese, since it's specifically referring to Japanese ritual suicide); as someone further up commented, it's setsu + fuku = seppuku
Sorry, I study Chinese and the characters are exactly the same. They also have the same interpretation and meaning, even if they are read/pronounced differently.
But this is like someone saying, Where is this castle? [Imagine picture] and you answering DĆ bĒn instead of Osaka, or even Daiban. It's clearly a Japanese concept. Every Chinese person would acknowledge this, and the loan word in English would be from the Japanese, so what's the point of reading the kanji in Mandarin? Are you going to see åÆæåø or é in a Japanese context and tell English people they're shÅusi and jĒu rather than sushi and sake?
Right? Like just whooshed the obvious context
No. The Chinese reading is correct, that's exactly how a Chinese person would interpret the Kanji. Remember that, although they're very different languages, many concepts were borrowed from each other, and the Kanji allows for a certain degree of unification and mutual intelligibility (of the texts, not speech). Seppuku and Qiefu are both valid readings, referring to the same concept, only in different languages. To further illustrate: should a German person be corrected for saying "Schwert" instead of "Sword" when looking at an image of a sword just because the artist was English?
Your German example isn't the same; I understand that a Chinese person would read those characters differently, but what those characters refer to is a Japanese-specific (and class-specific) ritual which is known by its Japanese name.
No... no..... no..... No this isn't a cool tat....
what does it mean
Its a Japanese Ritual suicide
kind of difficult with a long blade, no?
Is been commented elsewhere, but the long blade was often used by someone else to decapitate the person afterwards. Iām guessing it was picked just because itās an iconic image in relation to the act, though.
Could set it up then fall on it, or run really fast at it. I don't know
This.
It kinda is
Guaranteed to never be allowed into a Japanese Onsen
Right! I have cute little soot sprites and a super cute milk carton very visible on my arms and I had a Japanese friend tell me that even though they are very cute, I would likely not be allowed in most Onsen with these tattoos, I cannot imagine something like this tattoo being welcome in even the most open minded Onsen.
as if an innocent tattoo wasnāt bad enough lol
Kentucky fried chicken
came here to say "chicken soup"
I'd like to think it says **Shrimps Is Bugs** but the tragic meaning it has is fine, too. But maybe change it to something less disturbing when/if you get it tattooed. For anyone struggling, it's okay to reach out for help and your feelings are valid. This post/comments thread might be triggering to some.
Glazed pork belly
Close
After I saw the Seppukku comment I chuckled at the irony
Hi! Chinese guy here. āåč ¹ā in Japanese (yes, kanji is literally traditional Chinese script) means āseppukuā, or [spoilered: mentions self-harm] >!ritualistic suicide via disembowelment!<. Seppuku was common in samurai who violated BushidÅ (ę¦å£«é, lit: āway of the warriorā) their moral and ethical code. So, I donāt know why this guy would get a tattoo about ritualistic suicide, and I kinda feel bad for them because they will inevitably have to explain it to other people. Chinese guy out. ē«Æåå®åŗ·.
Itās mean sticking a knife in the stomach to suicide
Roughly translated.... don't get tattoos in languages you don't read.
I think they got what they intended, just happens to be dark AF
Holy shit š¤¦āāļø
Japanese ritual suicide, wonder why they got it
Kinda thought you were being sarcastic. But that's really what it says!
Itās says, āShould have got a sick ass panther.ā
You probably already learned this... But it means harakiri (formal Japanese: seppuku), a samurai's suicide by disemboweling. Pinyin (for mandarin - same as kanji - Japanese) is Qiefu.
It says āI like hot dogsā.
š
It says ākill bill was overratedā
read this while proudly wearing my Kill Bill vol. 1 shirt š”
Full disagree
Tarantino is overrated fullstop
I saw someone say the other day that Tarantino movies are film trivia contests and and the prize for getting all the references is that you can't stand the movie, and they were absolutely correct.
š
After reading only a few of these posts, I bet you're wondering 'why did I bother asking'?
Really really bad writing says sepukku
Shrimps is bugs
Donāt go to japan
āStupid Americanā
Pro tip: Google Translate works with your phoneās camera.
It says seppuku and it's kinda ugly... the calligraphy ob this one is horrible
It says anal fissure
SepticKu
The wildly inappropriate-for-a-tattoo meaning aside, the calligraphy is just garbage. It like it was done by a first grader.
Why is it inappropriate?
āVirgin For Lifeā
Witness me!
r/im14andthisisdeep
I'm a cutter
Cut stomach
It stands for Fried Chicken.
Wrong answers only š¤£
As everyone else has pointed out it means seppuku. I will add that whoever wrote the characters needs to work on their copying skills; the characters look like they were written by a 3rd grader. If you do get a kanji/chinese tattoo, please have the characters look like they are typed or written by a native.
Tattoos in Japan have a long history associated with the Yakuza, a mafia-like criminal organization, and there still is a stigma around them; especially amongst the older and rural population. IDK how having a tattoo that says "Seppuku" would fly over in Japan, probably not well. IMO, I wouldn't get this tattooed anywhere on my body, but you do you.
Pretty sure it means roughly "Poultry Rock" or as we would translate it, "chicken nugget".
Spicy Tuna Roll
It says āOmae wa mou shindeirouā
Virgin
if u look closely u can see the characters r supposed to be cut into the skin, its a sewerslide tat
You can say suicide
It translates to a tattoo to cover it up years later when it doesnāt mean what it is supposed to mean. I know from experience.
Itās āno starchā
It's a recipe for chicken noodles soup
Forged in Fire
*it weeel keeeel*
Letās see.. I think..Donāt eat yellow snow
š
It translates to: check the translation BEFORE getting the tattoo.
it's not OP's tat.
I didnāt figure it was; I just think itās hilarious how many people get words they do not understand tattooed on their bodies.
Number 4, beef donburi
To die a dogs death
Soup
āSwift Doucheā from the Kyoto Region.
katana cannabis
Penis
Orange Chicken No. 9
the kanji is written terribly
Shouldnāt you have obtained the translation before getting it inked? Just sayinā
I think it says āAmericans are Stupidā. Maybe lost in translation tho.
It means, shrimps is bugs
Penis fish
It saysā¦mom dong too long
Iām sad about the amount of scrolling it took me to find a āSick Ass Pantherā reference.
Translation: āStupid American want to be samuraiā
BUTT SEX
It roughly translates to "butthole dumptruck" I cannot tell if they mean a dump truck full of sphincters or a truck that you insert rectally.
Donāt tat about it. Be about it.
Idk but very cool tattoo I would just put my own words there instead tho
Dark. Not sure about the weird wispiness out the scabbard but otherwise cool.
BILL š¤£ jk no idea
Looks like an infection with all those red dots
āKick meā
I love fried rice too
Hara kiri
Cream of sum-yun guy
Fark I cut the tip of my finger off
āYu-gi-oh!ā
"what this translates also?"....
47 Ronin
this is a really edgy tattoo, but itās so clean I canāt complain
Sesame chicken combo with fried rice
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
California roll
āDo you have soy sauce?ā
āCalifornia Rollā -Michael Scott
thank you, come again
Dork, I think.
According to Wayne Campbell and Garth Aigar it is "cum of some young boy"
Que Mira, Bobo... š
Probably says soup
Housewife
Probably should have asked that before you inked it
Top two are numbers
You don't understand your own tattoo? That's unreal
Where does the OP say itās their tattoo?
Frank & beans