Improvement (kaizen)

Scroll to see all 14 Japanese Improvement tattoo designs

Here we offer 14 different hand-brushed Japanese Improvement tattoo designs by Master Japanese Calligrapher Eri Takase. For these Improvement tattoo designs the fonts are different, but the characters and the meaning are the same. So order the style you like - the meaning is the same for each design.

Improvement in Japanese is 改善 which is read kaizen. The Japanese word kaizen specifically means "Incremental and continuous improvement". kaizen is composed of the kanji 改 (read kai) meaning "change; renew; amend; reformation" and 善 (read zen) meaning "good; virtuous".

This design reminds us that improvement really is a continuous process and Perfection is never achieved. R. H. Blyth in Zen and Zen Classics Volume One explains a fundamental of Zen Buddhism as "Holding to the One is not Truth." There is no Perfect, there is only the journey.

In his book The Japanese Have a Word for It: The Complete Guide to Japanese Thought and Culture Boye Lafayette De Mente uses the translation of kaizen as "Nothing is Ever Good Enough". He writes "Kai zen literally means 'continuous improvement,' and is a concept that has permeated Japanese culture since ancient times. It means, simply, that the Japanese are driven by an innate urge to continuously strive to improve both the form of the things they make as well as the manufacturing technology and process." He went on to write, "The historical factor that gave rise to the kai zen concept was the master-apprentice approach that was applied throughout the arts and crafts, from the making of pottery and bamboo baskets to the painting of wall scrolls. As the centuries passed, acceptable standards became higher and higher until finally even the most mundane article was expected to be a work of art.

Improvement" makes the perfect gift for anyone in the quality control industry and is an appropriate gift for both the home and office.

Translations You Can Trust: We want you to be as happy with the Japanese translation as you are with Master Takase's beautiful art. So we have made it easy to confirm the translation for yourself by simply clicking on Improvement (kaizen) which links to the independent Jeffrey's Japanese English Dictionary. You can also verify the translation using Yahoo's dictionary entry Improvement (kaizen).

With your order, you will receive everything you need for the perfect Improvement in Japanese Tattoo. Your design comes as an Adobe PDF file which means it will print exactly as Master Takase brushed the design and, of course, it includes the line art (also called a stencil) which your tattoo artist must have to properly ink the design.

The Adobe PDF file completely documents the design and contains everything your tattoo artist needs to properly ink the design. Your tattoo artist does not need to know Japanese.