Tattoo facts

Ainu. The Ainu are an indigenous people in Japan, today almost completely assimilated by the Japanese. The Ainu women tattooed their mouths, starting at a young age with a small spot on the upper lip, gradually increasing with size. When they reached age 15–16, their tattoos were completed. Thus were they qualified for marriage.

Samoa. The tattoo of a Samoan man testifies his courage - the traditional way of applying is very painful. A Samoan without a tattoo, or with incomplete work, is exposed to mockery. The English word "tattoo" is probably derived from the Polynesian tau tau.