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.
Standard spelling using 入れ墨 for 'tattoo' and 者 for 'person'.
Variant spelling with 入墨, less common but still used.
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.