Hyottoko

Hyottoko painting by Marco

Meanings: Fire, Luck, Prosperity

Representations of Hyottoko like many Japanese characters and tattoo motifs come from the Noh Theater. His story begins as a little boy that can produce gold from his belly button. In adult life Hyottoko is usually seen with his wife Okame, another popular tattoo motif, cultural icon and mask from the Noh Theater.

Hyottoko’s name translates roughly to “fire man” and he is sometimes considered to be the Fire God. People tend to get tattoos of Hyottoko mostly for fun because he is an odd looking character. He has a round face, bushy eyebrows and mustache and usually one eye squinted with the other wide open. But his most distinct feature is his mouth which is elongated and pushed completely to one side of his face. It is thought to represent a pipe or shoot of bamboo from which fire emerges. He is also normally wearing a blue and white polka dot scarf on his head.