保護と奉仕 hogo to hōshi To Serve and Protect

保護と奉仕 names the promise the police make to the people they serve. 保護 is protection, and 奉仕 is service, the word Japanese also uses for volunteer work, with a note of devotion in it. The Japanese keeps the motto's order, protect first, as two nouns with no verb, the way a crest speaks.

The words render the Los Angeles Police Department's motto, to protect and to serve, chosen in a contest in the department's magazine in 1955; the Japanese pair itself is older, the name historians of the 1930s gave to the bond of lord and vassal.

We want you to be as happy with the meaning as you are with Master Takase's art. To learn more, visit Philology of 保護と奉仕.

Each design is Master Japanese Calligrapher Eri Takase's hand-brushed calligraphy of the word or phrase on this page, delivered as a PDF you can print. Every PDF includes the line art, so a tattoo artist or a craftsperson can work from the outline as well as the brushed image.

Your purchase includes a personal-use license: use the design as a tattoo reference, frame it, engrave it, print it for yourself, or make it into a gift. For more information see Licensing, which also covers commercial-use options that may be purchased separately.

Your PDF is available for download the moment your order completes, and a copy is attached to your emailed receipt.

If you need your design again later, ask us for it and we will send it.