Quick glance into the Dr. Fukushi Masaichi’s life and his journey into the world of tattoo preservation. #FukushiMasaichi
Preserving Irezumi
As we discussed in a previous post, tattoos are forms of artistic expression and cultural symbols. In Japan, tattoos are known as irezumi, a style defined by its respect for the human body and captivating imagery. While we may be fascinated by Japanese styled tattoos, no one was more obsessed than a man named Fukushi Masaichi, whose obsession grew into a staggering collection of 2,000 preserved human ‘pelts.’
Life as the Tattoo Doctor
Fukushi Masaichi was born in 1878 and dived into the field of medicine at a young age. This led to his pursuit of a medical education at the Tokyo Imperial University as well as in Germany. He later became chairman of the Japanese Pathological Society, where he discovered that tattoo ink in the skin killed the skin damage caused by syphilis. This led to his research on tattooed human skin (1907 onwards), where he began to remove skin from tattooed corpses and preserved them. The preservation process was meticulous and time-consuming, this involved carefully peeling away the skin from the corpse, then stretching them out to dry (resulting in dried ‘pelts’). He often paid people who were willing to donate their skin after they died, and even funded tattoos for people who couldn’t afford them. Over time, this amassed into a large documentation of 2,000 preserved pelts and 3000 photographs. He became known locally as the tattoo doctor (刺青博士).
Legacy
As with all the tragedies that come with war, Dr. Masaichi’s collection was largely destroyed during air raids in 1945. Another large portion of his work was stolen while traveling. Today, there are only about 100 something tattooed pelts on display at the Medical Pathology Museum (Tokyo University). Due to reasons we shall never know, this collection is not currently accessible to the public, leaving Dr. Masaichi’s remarkable legacy hidden from most eyes. While the majority of the world may never see Masaichi’s preserved tattooed pelts in person, his work serves as a testament to the enduring power of Japanese artistry. His story reminds us that art, even in its most unconventional forms, has the ability to transcend time and space, leaving a mark that lasts for generations to come.
