noun
tattooed criminal (Edo period)
Historical term for a person who received a punitive tattoo during the Edo period, marking them as a convicted criminal.
江戸時代、入れ墨者は前科者として一目でわかるようにされていた。
In the Edo period, tattooed criminals were made easily recognizable as ex-convicts.
Refers to the tattoo itself, not the person. 入れ墨者 specifically denotes a person who has been tattooed as punishment.
Compound of 入れ墨 (tattoo) + 者 (person). The term is historically tied to the Edo-period practice of tattooing criminals as a form of punishment and identification.