Kanji tattoo

ailopes · 27 Aug 2008

Hello everyone,

I've just joined this forum from Portugal
I'm planning to make my 1st tattoo and would like to have something that is meaningfull to me, without everyone understands it.
So, I thought kanji was a good option; it's nice looking and it would mean what I want.
My concern is to have the right caracters, so I don't end up with something weird written on my body

I love to travel, meet new places, cultures, people. Although I have a full-time job, I travel as much as I can, and try to get something from my travel experience, to enrich myself as a person, to be more tolerant towards others.

I would like my tattoo to meet this idea - it could be the word traveller or journey, but not just in a sense of travelling, but in a sense of discovery, of others and of oneself.

It would be great to have your help on this, either by translating this idea to kanji or by recommending me a good translator. I've found plenty all over the internet but don't know who is reliable...

Thanks for your help!
Ana

Mycernius · 27 Aug 2008

If you are really set on getting a kanji tattoo then find a tattooists who knows how to write kanji properly, rather than a general tattooist in the local high street. Else you could find yourself with a badly done kanji tattoo, that might be the right one, done by a semi-literate halfwit. I have seen it myself on others.

hideway · 27 Aug 2008

Oh noes, it is a flood!

Welcome to the forum ailopes, hope you'll stick around.

nice gaijin · 27 Aug 2008

What about a kanji tattoo makes it meaningful to you? "It looks nice" is kind of an insufficient rationalization, especially considering you don't understand it or any of the connotations it might have. What if there is no word for "traveller" with the meanings you want?

Furthermore, being unable to read the characters yourself, you have to put your ink in the hands of strangers that may or may not know what they're talking about, may or may not be able to pick the right characters themselves, and may or may not be able to correctly write the characters. There are several points at which mistakes can be made, and you are completely unable to spot these mistakes on your own.

So, why kanji again?

Mikawa Ossan · 27 Aug 2008

Although I am not a big fan of kanji tattooes either, here his what I would go with if I were you:
旅人
Actually, as tattooes go, I think that might actually be pretty cool now that I think about it.

But...it does beg the question as has been asked before, how can the tattoo mean something to you if you're trusting complete strangers to come up with it for you? I think it's a fair question.

ailopes · 27 Aug 2008

Hello again,

First of all, thank you for your advise and opinions... I am still in the process of choosing my tattoo, and it was helpful to hear from you.
You may be glad to know that I've changed my mind
Maybe because I wasn't really convinced myself and just needed a little push to distance myself from this choice.
So, I have come up with a new idea and this one I will know for sure that it's right. I'll let you know as soon as it's ready!

Thanks again!
Ana

Ashikaga · 27 Aug 2008

Hooray for another tweety bird tattoo!!! You, my friend, have made the right decision.

ailopes · 27 Aug 2008

It won't be a tweety bird... why would I do a tweety bird???

Mike Cash · 27 Aug 2008

Are there Sanskrit or hieroglyphics forums somewhere that get these same kind of questions?

AJBryant · 28 Aug 2008

No, but in some of my Tolkien lit fora, we *often* see people asking for "Elvish" translations for names and similar things.

I think I know about half a dozen people in those fora who have the ring legend tattooed around their upper arms like a tribal tat. Sigh.

Tony

Kanji tattoo

ailopes

後輩

Mycernius

The Hairy Wookie

hideway

still hiding

nice gaijin

Resident Realist

Mikawa Ossan

いかんわ！

ailopes

後輩

Ashikaga

もちもちした食感

ailopes

後輩

Mike Cash

骨も命も皆此の土地に埋めよう

AJBryant

先輩

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