Japanese calligrapher Hayato Suzuki writes Chinese characters while tattoo artist Horimyo (right) tattoos on his leg in Tokyo in 2009.

Bid now on Japanese Yakuza Tattoo - Zen #1 by Gao Yuan. View a wide Variety of artworks by Gao Yuan, now available for sale on artnet Auctions.

For centuries, Japanese Zen Buddhist masters have used brush, ink and paper to create images and calligraphic works that convey spiritual truths.

I got this tattoo while I was in grad school because of the story behind the daruma. A daruma doll is a Japanese doll modeled after the Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism.

Waipahu High School Japanese language students designed and built a traditional Zen rock garden to honor their sister school in Japan.

GETTING tattoos in Japan is becoming a popular activity among Australian travellers. But hardly anybody realises that popping into a tattoo parlour there is actually illegal.