According to most sources, the Japanese dragon is closely related to the Chinese counterparts, with the exception that the Japanese dragon has only three claws, while that of the Celestial Kingdom (China) has five. This is the same in the tattoo designs.
The meanings of Japanese Dragon Tattoos modern Japanese Tattoo Artists have taken the art of the Japanese dragon to amazing new levels. Whether you want a full back or a half sleeve design, you will find an incredible gallery of amazing tattoo designs to choose from. They can be in color, or black & white. The Japanese dragon tattoo may appear with sea wave, clouds or pearls. If the dragon claw holds an enormous magical pearl, which has the power to multiply whatever it touches, the "pearl" symbolized the most precious treasure: Wisdom. Ancient Dragon lore and illustrations have inspired many of us to select a Japanese dragon tattoo because that design represents how we feel about ourselves -- strength, wisdom and freedom...
The popular locations for inking Japanese dragon tattoos.
Japanese dragon tattoos can wrap around the body and flatter the contours of the body, full body and full back dragon tattoos are very common in Japan, and the most popular location is half sleeve, the body of the dragon wrap around the upper arm and the dragon head extend out the upper front, just above the heart. Because of the long shape of the dragon, it also suited for inking on arms and legs.
The Japanese Dragon Tattoos are more popular than many other mythological creatures including phoenix tattoos, mermaid tattoos and gryphon tattoos. The Japanese dragon is usually depicted as a wingless, heavily-scaled snake-like mythological creature with small clawed legs and an antlered camel head, and is associated with sea, clouds or the heavens. it has whiskers and a beard, and it is deaf. Many of us think of dragons as a terrifying beast. However, the Japanese dragons symbolize good, kind, power and freedom. They tend to be much more slender and fly less frequently than the Chinese counterparts. This is merely a general description and does not apply to all Japanese dragons, but this is the common appearance in Japanese Dragon Tattoos.