【堅実に歩みを進め、志す手彫りの頂】
どこか違和感さえ覚えるほどに美しい刺青だ。ムラのないボカシは人の手によるものとは思えぬような精妙さでありながら、一方でその色味の深さ、重さは紛うことなき手彫りの味わいを表している。
この類まれな技術の修得までには長い時間はもちろんのこと、己を追い込む高い志が求められたことは想像に難くない。手彫りの真髄を探求するかのように日々、針と肌に向き合うその彫り師の名は天王寺 彫はる。かの伝統刺青の大家、池袋 初代彫俊一門に名を連ねる正統である。
Looking at one of his exquisite examples of irezumi, I felt strangely disconcerted. The even bokashi (shading) is so exquisite that it is hard to believe that it was done by hand, and at the same time the depth and strength of the colors show the unmistakable flavor of tebori (hand poking).
It is not difficult to imagine the amount of time and dedication it must have taken to become this proficient. It is apparent that his exceptional technique must have been constructed with a high level of self-discipline and ambition. Tennoji Horiharu is an artist who is always searching for the quintessence of hand poking, and is an apprentice to Ikebukuro Horitoshi the 1st, the great master of traditional tattooing in Japan.
彫はる氏の黒々とした硬質な額や、複雑に絡み合いながらひとつの流れを生み出す構図には、師からの系譜を色濃く感じさせる。それもそのはず、彫はる氏は二十歳を迎えるやすぐに弟子入りを果たし、付き人として間近で誰よりも長く彫俊氏の仕事を目にしてきたのだ。
自身の仕事や雑務が終わり、手が空けばひたすら師の傍らでその一挙手一投足を観察し続けたと言う。ディテールに集中することもあれば、見るともなく全体を俯瞰することもあった。長い月日を掛けて理屈ではなく身体に染み込ませた作法が、今なお彫はる氏の根幹を成しているのである。
The heavy and rigid gaku, and intricately intertwined compositions create a single flow of work that can be easily associated with the unique Horitoshi style. He has been his apprentice since he was 20 years old, and has witnessed Horitoshi’s work up close for more hours than any other person.
Whenever his work for the day was completed and his hands were free, he would sit by his master’s side and observe his every move. Sometimes he would concentrate on the details of the piece being worked on, or sometimes he would step back and look at the work from a macro perspective. The methods that have been ingrained in him, have become the core of his art above all else.
刺青の道に足を踏み入れ四半世紀ほどになるが、彫はる氏は「まだ自分の色を打ち出す時期ではない」と語る。美大を志しデッサンに明け暮れた十代の頃、とある雑誌で見掛け、その巧緻かつ勇壮な作風に心奪われた“初代彫俊”という頂は未だ遥か高みにあるのだ。
かつて穴の空くほどに観察した師の作品も、時を経て再見するとまた新たな発見があると言う。師の足跡を追いながら「いずれ自分らしさは自然に出ればいい」と彫はる氏は話す。
Although it has been nearly a quarter of a century since he first set foot on the path of irezumi, Horiharu says, “It is not yet time for me to start putting my own style out there”. When he was a teenager and spent all his time sketching in order to enter an art college. It was during this time that he found an article in a magazine regarding Horitoshi’s work, and got fascinated by his exquisite and heroic style. Horitoshi the 1st, is the peak of the irezumi style in which Horiharu is aiming, and in Horiharu’s opinion, he is still far away from his level.
He recalls going back to Horitoshi’s finished pieces that he went over in detail in the past, and still finding new discoveries. Speaking on following in his master’s footsteps, Horiharu mentioned, “I hope my own personality will eventually emerge naturally”.
彫はる氏は「自分の仕事に決して納得はしない」ように努めている。納得することはそれ即ち、成長を止めることへと繋がるからだ。そうして常に高みを目指してきた氏の手彫りが生み出す鮮やかさ、そして深みが他の追随を許さない域に達していることに疑念はない。
氏は「手はあまり速く動かすな」との師の言葉を守り、一突き一突きを疎かにせず丁寧な仕事を心掛けている。一手で確実に色を皮下に残す着実な技こそが、最終的な完成度の高さとして結実するのだ。ひとつの作品を生み出すのに何千、何万もの刺突が繰り返されることを思えば、その集中力たるやである。
Horiharu strives to “never be satisfied with my work”, as he feels being satisfied leads to the curbing of growth. In this way, he has always aimed high, and there is no doubt that the vividness and depth of his tebori has reached a level unrivaled by the majority of artists in Japan.
He follows his master’s words, “Don’t move your hand too fast,” and he is careful to not neglect even a single poke. It is this steady technique of leaving the color under the skin in a single movement, that results in a high degree of final perfection. Considering that tens of thousands of pokes are repeated to create a single work of art, his concentration is astounding.
彫はる氏は通常、角度を付けて三段に重ねた針を用いるが、竹の柄に接着したり堅く固定したりすることはない。軽く布テープで巻き止めるに留め、曰く「針は肌に置く」程度の感覚で余計な力は加えないようにしているそうだ。
左手でしっかりと肌を張り針を刺す角度を見極めれば、針は自ずと皮下へと潜り込んでいく。そうすることで束ねた針が偏ることなく均等に肌に入るのだ。彫はる氏の刺青のムラのない美しい仕上がりはこうした技巧の帰結なのである。
なお針はもちろんのこと、柄も竹材から自作しているにも関わらず、都度使い捨てにしていると言うのだからその徹底した衛生意識には恐れ入る。
Horiharu usually uses needles stacked in three layers at an angle, but they are not glued or tightly fastened to the bamboo stick. He lightly wraps the needles with cloth tape and does not apply unnecessary force, as if he is “just placing the needles on the skin”.
If the skin is tautly stretched by the left hand and the angle of the needles is accurate, the needles will naturally go into the skin. This way, the bundled needles enter the skin evenly. The beautiful even finish of Horiharu’s irezumi is the result of this long refined skill.
His high level of hygiene is also worth mentioning, as he uses bamboo sticks that are handmade but disposed of after each customer.
先にも少し述べたが、彫はる氏の構図は絵柄や額が細かく入り乱れる複雑なものだ。しかし針束の中や肌の下で墨が混ざり合うことも計算に含め、明暗を滑らかに表現したボカシがそれら各々を際立たせ、何が描かれているのか一目で分かるようにまとめ上げている。この明暗の付け方には、かつて打ち込んだデッサンでの素養が活かされていると氏は話す。
彫はる氏の刺青は細部を見ても全体を見ても、非の打ち所がないと評して差し支えないだろう。クライアントの中には「彫はる先生がいなければ、刺青を入れることはなかった」とまでに心酔する者もいる。それがお世辞やへつらいではなく本心であることは、氏の作品のクオリティを目の当たりにすれば良く分かる。
As mentioned previously, Horiharu’s compositions are complex with a detailed mixture of subjects and gaku. Importantly to note, he blends the black ink in with the bundle of needles, and takes how the ink is inserted into the skin into consideration, which leaves a smooth expression of light and dark. This results in a powerful design that can be easily deciphered at first glance, as the main composition stands out against the amazingly crafted background. He attributes his shading method to his background in sketching, which he was devoted to in the past.
Horiharu’s irezumi could be described as impeccable, both in detail and as a whole. One of his clients is so enamored with the work that he did on him that he remarked, “I would never have gotten tattoos without him”. The honest tone of this statement shows his true dedication and admiration towards his artist, and Horiharu’s genuine skill is evident in the quality of his work.
彫はる氏は努力の人だ。修行時代はもとより自身の彫り場を構えてからも修練を怠らない。その長いキャリアの中で、漫然と突かれた針はただの一度もないことだろう。
氏は国際的なコンベンションに審査員として招致されることもあり、他国からも高い関心を集めている。だがこれからの展望を尋ねると、氏はこう答えた。「クライアントから受けた仕事を堅実にこなすだけです」。名誉や名声には囚われず、ただ己の成すべきことを成す。彫はる氏は雑念に惑わされることなく、ひた向きに手彫りの頂へと歩みを進めている——。
Horiharu is a man of hard work. He has never neglected his training, not only during his apprenticeship but also after setting up his own studio. In his long career, there has probably never been a single needle that was poked aimlessly.
He has been invited, as a judge, to international conventions and has attracted high interest from patrons from many countries around the world. But when I asked about his future prospects, he simply replied, “I’m just steadily going to do the work I am requested to do by my clients”. He is not the type to get caught up seeking honor or prestige, he is only concerned with what he needs to do to create amazing pieces of work. Horiharu is not distracted by any other worldly distraction. He is an earnest man working to reach the pinnacle of tebori.
Tennoji HORIHARU
住所: 大阪府大阪市西成区（天王寺駅から徒歩約5分）
営業時間: 12:00〜22:00（不定休）
電話: 06-6647-2882
Eメール: info@horiharu.com
※完全予約制につき、まずは問い合わせを。
Address: Nishinari-ku, Osaka city, Osaka (5 mins walk from Tennoji station)
Business hour: 12:00〜22:00（Irregular Holidays）
Phone: (+81)6-6647-2882
Email: info@horiharu.com
※Appointment only.