Kintaro

Meaning: Bravery, Strength, Son

Kintaro (Sakata no Kintoki in adulthood) in one of the most popular Japanese Tattoo Motifs. He is based on a real person and is most often depicted as a chubby kid with red skin. Kintaro was raised by a mountain ogress (some stories say it was his mom who was not very attractive) on Mt. Ashigara. He was a child of superhuman strength, able to smash rocks into pieces, uproot trees and bend trunks like twigs. He was also very friendly with the animals in the mountains, some say he could speak their language and that his animal friends served him as messengers and mounts. Several tales speak of Kintaro’s adventures fighting monsters, oni, snakes and even beating bears at sumo wrestling. He is usually seen carrying an Ono. The most famous image is of him wrestling the giant black carp which glorifies his strength.

It is a custom in Japan to put up a Kintaro doll on Boy’s Day in hope that the sons of the family will become equally brave and strong.

As an adult he became known as Sakata no Kintoki a very strong warrior and loyal retainer of Minamoto no Yorimitsu.

His image as an kid or an adult make a powerful tattoo image that represents the stories about his life.