HORIMONO: JAPAN’S TATTOO PILGRIMAGE

2020 - short documentary film

Japan has an uneasy relationship with tattoos, which have come to be associated with organized crime. Living amongst heavy stereotypes, a group of tattooed individuals practice a centuries-old pilgrimage to a mountain shrine, now one of the few places where the traditional full-body tattoo (“horimono”) can be shown and celebrated. Following the events of this never-before-filmed pilgrimage, this short documentary provides a fresh view on the cultural history of Japanese tattoos, and those who continue to choose to get them done.

Funded through Kickstarter as a staff pick.

Original Infographics and Paintings by Kira Dane:

Original Infographics and Paintings by Kira Dane

Festivals:

Rhode Island International Film Festival - 2020

Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival - 2020

Banff Mountain Film Festival - 2020

Press:

Japan Times

Tokyo Weekender

Instagram

Horimono is playing at Boston Japan Film Festival’s online program this year! The festival is sponsored by MIT and started back in 2011 in response to the Tohoku disaster, to raise funds and awareness for people in need. But its scope has grown
Haven’t posted on here in a while! This is a long overdue post about our experience showing Horimono at Rising Sun Film Festival in Kita Kyushu last month. This was our first in-person film festival, and the first festival premiere in Japan! So
Infographic about the difference between the terms “horimono” and “irezumi” — part of our article by @caprarad and @kira.dane currently up on Vice. Link in bio! ▽ [ Graphic by @kira.dane ]
We’ve received amazing responses to the film so far! To those of you who took a moment to watch it, thank you so much, and to those who haven’t seen it yet, be sure to check it out through Vice News! If you’d like to know more about
More good news on the festival front: our film, "Horimono: Japan's Tattoo Pilgrimage," will screen online at the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival which runs online Oct. 31 to Nov. 8, 2020. Our film will screen as part of Gl
Oyama Afuri Shinto Shrine — the destination for the Choyukai tattooed pilgrims — and shrine priest Meguro Kunihiko, who we interviewed for our film. Meguro-san is also a talented photographer and drone operator, and he actually was the on
Two big pieces of news! . The first is that our film has been selected to screen at Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival! LAAPFF is the largest film festival in Southern California dedicated to showcasing films by and about Asians & Pacific Is
Thanks @flickers.riiff for showcasing our film! More news to come in September 😁
Thanks so much for watching our short documentary through Rhode Island International Film Festival. We’ve gotten such an incredible response, and we’re so glad that so many people around the world enjoyed our film. If you’d like to
For one week starting August 9, anyone in the world can view our short film “Horimono: Japan’s Tattoo Pilgrimage” during our world premiere at the prestigious Rhode Island International Film Festival. The link for viewing is in our

An additional short about tebori tattooing, from outtakes at Horihiro Mitomo’s studio

Directed by Kira Dane & David Caprara

Producer Alice Gordenker

Director of Photography Michael Crommett

Editor Kira Dane

Sound Mixer Rob Mayes

Associate Producers Therese “Tag” Goulet, Luca Ortis, Alex Reinke

Colorist Amy Besate

Sound Design David Britton

“Hagoromo” “Fairy Link” “Zenmai” Written and Performed by Susumu Yokota,

Courtesy of Lo Recordings, Published by Hub 100 Publishing

Archival Material Courtesy of The Nikkatsu Corporation, Hoso University, The National Diet Library of Japan