The Lost Tattoo Art of hajichi, Is Found Again By Japan’s Okinawan Women

By Sidra Lackey

The minimalistic yet distinct tattoo design called hajichi that is traditionally worn on the fingers, hands and wrists by Okinawan women, is being brought back to life by young women in Okinawa, Japan. Hajichi’s exact birth is unknown but it traces back to the 16th century. The rebirth of hajichi however presently, is an acknowledgement of halcyon times in Okinawa when women were powerful leaders. Hajichi is, “a sign of pride of womanhood, beauty and protection from evil spirits. It could also indicate marriage. Young women often got hajichi through multiple sessions as a rite of passage through different stages of life,” according to “Hajichi of Nakijin, A Vanishing Custom,” a 1983 research paper. 

Hajichi was banned in 1899 by the government due to assimilation as Japan started to let more non-Japanese people into the country. Today, tattoos in Japan are unfortunately still stigmatized as they are usually associated with crime and the yakuza. Tattoo artists tattoo hajichi in Okinawa currently but there is just one hajichi specialist in Okinawa. Moeko Heshiki, 30, is that specialist, a “hajicha” who is founder of the Hajichi Project. She opened her tattoo studios (located in Okinawa and Tokyo) in 2020. “Even in the tattoo industry, a lot of tattoo artists tend to be men. But hajichi was usually done by women for women, so this felt especially meaningful. Hajichi is also a part of this idea that women possess power. And living in a patriarchal society like Japan, I think that’s part of why I was drawn to hajichi.” Heshiki says. When tattooing clients, Heshiki uses the tattoo technique of hand-poking with bamboo needles and references hajichi designs from history books. Before she tattoos hajichi on the fingers, hands and wrists of women, she checks if they are of Okinawan blood. However, if a woman is not of Okinawan heritage, Heshiki will tattoo hajichi on a different part of their body.

Moeko Heshiki, 30, a hajichi specialist in Okinawa, found the traditional art form after searching online for a tattoo that would represent her family. (Michelle Ye Hee Lee/TWP)

Hajichi is very beautiful. The look is delicate yet bold and holds a lot of meaningful history for the wearer. If you’re a tattoo collector not of Okinawan descent, would you get a hajichi for aesthetic reasons? Will tattoo artists in America’s tattoo industry start to popularize the decorative and dynamic tattoo designs of Japan’s hajichi?