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Tatu
aka Jimi Tatu aka Lord Tatusumoto aka Tatunawa 
Who is Tatu? I have been a student of Japanese Culture since my college days some 30 years ago (1972-76), and have continued this journey ever since. I was a social studies major (history, psycholgy, sociology, geography), but at the time I was not sure what drew me to take my history electives in Asian studies. I had been involved in ju-jitsu as a boy and later as much as my body would allow me to, would experience some Aikido. In the last 10 years I have been studying Hojo-jutsu, a little known martial art in the west. It was the Samurai art of using ropes to capture, restraining and transporting prisoners. I have taken Tea Ceremony lessons and have a little conversational Nihongo under my belt. One of my dreams came true, when I got to visit Japan. It was not however, until 1989 that I think it became clear to me what had been taking place in my soul. It was that year that my father died. I knew he had been in World War II because I remember playing with his silk parachute in the back yard making a big tent over the swing set. He told me he was in the Army Air Corp (there was no Air Force back then) and that flew on B-29's as a Radio / Radar man. When he died, it became incumbent upon me to go through is personal effects. It was there I saw his service ribbons and came across one document stating that he had received a "unit citation" related to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He did not fly one of those missions to my knowledge, but apparently he was a part of that unit. I remember before he died asking him about the dropping of the atomic bombs and he did not want to talk about it. After some coaxing, he talked about the "fight to the death" soul of the Japanese warriors and so he fully believed that if we had invaded Japan and had to fight on their soil that untold millions would have lost their lives. He was convinced that although horrendous and tragic it ended the war a lot sooner otherwise and saved untold numbers. So maybe my interest in Japanese culture was a result of the tragic events that ultimately drew our nations together as friends and allies. I don't know. I just know that I love how the culture makes everything an art. From gardening, to paper folding, to food preparation to flower arranging, etc. It is such a wonderful contrast to concrete thinking we are enslaved to in the west. Perhaps it was my pre-ordained role in some small way to be a part of the healing between cultures and to become a student... to learn and to love, with a peace I could not find in my own culture. To me there is nothing more elegant and sensuous than a silk kimono on a lovely lady. With the advent of the internet back in the late 80's / early 90's I needed a handle, and came up with the name Jimi Tatu. Jim is my real first name and I love tattoos. Jimi Tatu also became my handle with my Harley riding crowd as well. I involve myself from time to time in some fantasy role play.. from the ren fairs to the erotic. A few years ago when the Last Samurai came out, I heard the principal character's name: "Lord Katsumoto". I sat there saying Lord Katsumoto... Lord Tatsumoto... smile.. so somewhere deep in my perverted mind, I think I must be Lord Tatsumoto. One day I will construct period armour and visit the ren fest. I'm not really a Ken Wantonabe wannbe however. Well maybe I am. So, Tat-sushi anyone? Smile...
Respectfully, ~Tatu |
I especially love Japanese Tattoo Art and
have about 65 hours of it on my body. Before I die I want to finish
full chest pieces and sleeves in neo tradional style....