THE LIVING LEGEND & MASTER
OF TATTOOING
Words: Candies Deezy Liu
Photos: Sean Hartgrove
Oguri Kazuo was respectfully given the moniker, Horihide as a living legend, as well as tattoo
and tebori master. He is recognized as sensei, meaning a master of his craft, a title and rite of
passage that is far from easy to acquire. At the age of nineteen, Horihide became an apprentice,
dedicating the rest of his life to the art of Japanese traditional tattooing. He discovered the opportunity in Tokyo as he came across a street sign - free room and board in exchange of a tattoo
apprenticeship. He had no money, no shelter, and was hungry. This hunger, albeit very much so
physical, was emotional as well. Taking this sign as a “sign,” something in him convinced him to
go forth. He knew the journey he was about to embark upon was not going to be an easy one.
At the time, tattooing was a forbidden craft, polluted with stigmas, and not to mention, illegal as
feudal customs were still prominent in Japan.
His apprenticeship was intense, to say the least. Making a mistake resulted in punishment, both
verbal and physical. It was also common to train for five years as an apprentice. Thereafter, the
pupils bestowed the money they earned for one year to their masters as they worked on their
own. This payment to their master was an expression of appreciation. This intensive mentorship
taught him the discipline and patience that has enabled him to become the master he is today.
In the time he adopted the craft of art and tattooing into his life, it was incredibly taboo. He had
no choice but to practice on his own skin. Getting tattooed in those days in Japan was only done
in secrecy. In four decades, he acquired a rabid clientele of yakuza, members of Japan’s revered
and feared mafia, geishas, and eventually people who would travel thousands of miles across
the globe to experience the tattooing and mastery of Horihide. Locating the master is no easy
task, as he had no choice but to keep his whereabouts classified.
Horihide was the first Japanese tattoo artist to visit the United States after World War II. As a
pioneer, of Japanese tattooing and irezumi, (literally meaning “to insert ink”) he is famously
known as the major influence that introduced Norman Collins, better known as Sailor Jerry,
and Ed Hardy to the art of traditional Japanese tattoo ing. This greatly contributed to and forever
enriched western tattooing in the twenty first century. To this day, Horihide’s craft has impacted
the art of tattooing in numerous cultures in the industry.
As much of a legend as he is, he remains humble and appreciative of the art that he has been
able dedicate his life to. Horihide has since retired from the art of tattooing, although he still
dedicates much of his time to art. Since his retirement from horimono, the Japanese term for
“tattoos,” he has adopted a pupil to mentor, an honor and legacy that he is rightfully passing on.
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