Centipede Tattoo Meaning: Mukade Symbolism in Japan

In Japan, a centipede tattoo draws on old beliefs about the mukade (百足, literally "hundred legs"). The centipede was believed to be a messenger of the god Bishamonten that protects warriors and brings good fortune, and samurai valued it because it only moves forward. Folklore also casts it as a monster. This guide explains each meaning with sources, plus the centipede and spider lily combination and design ideas.

You can also find designs to pair with a centipede, such as spider lily tattoos and dragon tattoos, on Tattoo Japan.

Centipede Tattoo Meanings at a Glance

Meaning	Where it comes from
Protection, fortune	Messenger of Bishamonten
Everyday guardian	Centipede ema for silkworms
Never retreat	Only moves forward
Fear, power	Giant centipede legend

These are traditional meanings from Japanese religion and folklore. A tattoo has no official meaning, so what you put into it is up to you. The sections below explain where each one comes from.

Messenger of Bishamonten: Protection and Good Fortune

Since the Kamakura period, the centipede has been believed to be a messenger of Bishamonten, protecting warriors and bringing people good fortune. (Source: Keio University, "The Centipede in the Box", Jan 2024 (Japanese))

Bishamonten is a Buddhist guardian deity, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, who guards the north. In Japan he is also one of the Seven Lucky Gods and is known as a god who gives treasure. (Source: Kotobank, "毘沙門天" (Japanese))

Because it serves a protective god, a centipede tattoo can carry the meaning of protection or good fortune.

Centipede ema: a guardian of silkworms

At Fukuoji's Bishamon Hall in Kakuda, Miyagi Prefecture, people offered small votive tablets (ema) to pray for a good silkworm harvest. The tablets show the centipede, regarded as Bishamonten's messenger, or the characters for "centipede". (Source: Miyagi Prefecture (Japanese))

Rats were the great enemy of silkworm farming, and the centipede was seen as the rats' natural enemy, so people began offering centipede ema at the hall. (Source: and trip. by JR East, Mukade no Emakan)

Never Retreat: Why Samurai Liked the Centipede

A centipede only moves forward. Warriors hated stepping back on the battlefield because it suggested retreat, so the centipede, which never backs away, became a favorite emblem. (Source: Waraku Web, Mar 2020 (Japanese))

The messengers of the warlord Takeda Shingen (1521–1573) are said to have carried sashimono (banners worn on the back) with a centipede pattern in battle. (Source: Keio University (Japanese))

This is where the "keep moving forward, never retreat" meaning of a centipede tattoo comes from.

The Monster Side: Tawara Tōda and the Giant Centipede

The centipede was not always lucky. In the tale of Fujiwara no Hidesato, a dragon princess asks the hero to kill her enemy, a giant centipede. After he defeats it with his bow, she gives him magical gifts, including a bag of rice that never empties, which is why he is known as Tawara Tōda ("Rice-bag Tōda"). The ukiyo-e artist Tsukioka Yoshitoshi illustrated the story in 1865. (Source: Allen Memorial Art Museum)

A curator at Tohoku Gakuin University Museum describes the centipede as an ambivalent creature: a nasty pest when it bites, and at the same time a figure people personified and drew on votive tablets. (Source: Tohoku Gakuin University Museum, PDF (Japanese))

That mix of fear and good luck is part of what makes a centipede tattoo so striking.

Centipede and Spider Lily Tattoo Meaning

In Japan, the red spider lily (higanbana) blooms around the autumn equinox (higan). Its other names include manjushage, "dead person's flower" and "ghost flower", and the whole plant is poisonous. (Source: Kotobank, "彼岸花" (Japanese))

The pairing has no fixed meaning. You could read it as protection joined with remembrance of someone who has died, since the flower blooms at higan and has names tied to death. With a poisonous flower and a biting insect, it also makes a design with a dark, dangerous edge.

Centipede Tattoo Design Ideas

A centipede is long, with legs on both sides, so it suits vertical placements that follow the arm, the leg or the spine.

The style changes the mood a lot:

• Japanese traditional: combine it with dragons, waves or peonies (Japanese traditional designs)
• Black and grey: use shading to make the armored body look real (black and grey designs)
• Fine line: a small, thin-line centipede looks less creepy (fine line designs)

Dragons and centipedes have been drawn together before. A 16th-century letter box in Keio University's collection has a dragon in clouds on the lid and a large centipede hidden on the bottom of the box. (Source: Keio University (Japanese))

Many people see centipedes simply as pests, so think about whether you want one where others will see it. For more on styles, read our guide to tattoo styles.

Mukade, the Japanese Rapper

If you searched for "Mukade" and tattoos, you may be looking for the Japanese rapper 百足 (Mukade), born in 2000. He won the 15th BAZOOKA!!! High School Rap Championship in 2019, the first time he entered. (Source: KAI-YOU (Japanese)) His 2023 song "Kimi no Mama" with Inman reached No. 7 on the Billboard JAPAN Hot 100. (Source: Billboard JAPAN, Mar 8, 2023 (Japanese))

As far as the photos show, he has a flower on the back of his right hand and a spiderweb-like design on his left (judging the sides from the way the photos face).

Both forearms carry lettering, character-like images and flowers. We could not find a centipede among the tattoos in these photos, or any interview where he explains their meaning.

In an interview, he said he picked the name because many senior rappers had kanji insect names, because the creepiness of a centipede would make him memorable, and because the characters for "hundred" and "legs" are easy for anyone to write. (Source: KAI-YOU, quoting a LINE MUSIC interview (Japanese))

FAQ

What does a centipede tattoo mean in Japanese culture?

Mostly protection, good fortune and never retreating. These come from the centipede's role as Bishamonten's messenger and from samurai who admired how it only moves forward.

Is a centipede tattoo bad luck?

Not in the traditions above, where it is a lucky creature. But the centipede is also a pest and a monster in folklore, so some people may find it creepy.

What does a centipede and dragon tattoo mean?

There is no set meaning. In the Tawara Tōda legend, the dragon princess asks the hero to kill the centipede, so the two are enemies. Japanese art has also shown them together, as on the 16th-century letter box above.

Can I visit an onsen in Japan with a centipede tattoo?

The motif makes no difference: onsen rules apply to all tattoos, and policies differ widely. Most public baths have long refused tattooed guests, but some ryokan have no restrictions, some decide case by case, and many offer private baths. (Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Ryokan Q&A) Check each facility's rules before you go.

The Bottom Line

A centipede tattoo can stand for protection and good fortune, from its role as Bishamonten's messenger, and for never retreating, from the samurai who admired it. It also carries the fear of a folklore monster, which gives it a powerful look.

If you want one, start by browsing designs, then talk to an artist who works in the style you like.

This article is based on publicly available information as of October 2026.