Examining the Cherry Blossom Tattoo
Examining the Cherry Blossom Tattoo
Japanese pop culture has long since been popular in the western world and this is why it should come as no surprise that the cherry blossom tattoo has grown in popularity as well. However, the image of a cherry blossom tattoo may not be quickly recognizable to the average person and, quite honestly, it might not even be truly known to someone who has a cherry blossom tattoo. Part of the reason for this is that the history and the symbolism of the cherry blossom is not known to many people in the western world, but once one examines this symbolism then a greater understanding being the cherry blossom tattoo is possible.
The Symbolism of the Cherry Blossom
The cherry blossom is an interesting image for tattoo selections and it becomes even more interesting subject matter when one sees the growth of popularity of the tattoo in the western world considering that the cherry blossom is a flower that has deep significance in Japanese history and culture. The cherry blossom is the national flower of Japan where it holds tremendous significance. The significance of the cherry blossom is that of a symbol of peace and happiness and change. While this might seem like a somewhat simple view of what the cherry blossom represents there is also great depth on a humanistic level as it is a call for a change in the hearts of people. In other words, one should put away the darker side of human nature and become more accepting of the benign nature. Also, the blooming of the cherry blossom occurs during a brief and fleeting period of the season and, as such, there is also the underlying symbolism that life is short and one must make the most out of it, but there should also be special emphasis on living a life that is pure as opposed to using fleeting time for more selfish and aberrant purposes.
Of course, some individuals will select a cherry blossom tattoo for no reason other than it looks nice and, quite honestly, this is a perfectly acceptable reason for having such a tattoo. Of course, it would always be a better idea to understand the origins of the symbolism behind an image before having it inked. After all, you would want an image that agrees with your sentiments and sensibilities would you not? Then again, if you want it because the image looks nice there is nothing wrong with that either. The choice is ultimately your and your alone to make.