Getting a Tattoo in Tokyo: What You Need to Know Before You Ink in Japan From finding an English-speaking tattoo studio to understanding hygiene standards and tattoo etiquette, here’s what you need to know before getting inked in Tokyo—especially if you want a smooth, professional, and memorable experience. 1. Why Get a Tattoo in Japan? Japan is world-renowned for its artistry, precision, and cultural depth—this applies to tattoos, too. Whether you’re looking for a traditional irezumi design, fine line work, or something custom to commemorate your trip, Japan offers a level of craftsmanship that’s hard to match. Here’s why many travelers choose to get inked in Japan: ⸻ • […]
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Visiting Japan with Tattoos: What You Ne...
Visiting Japan with Tattoos: What You Need to Know Before You Travel If you’re planning a trip to Japan and have tattoos, you might be wondering: “Can I go to an onsen with tattoos?”, “Are tattoos accepted in Japan?”, or “Will I be treated differently as a tattooed foreigner?” These are some of the most searched questions by international travelers before coming to Japan—and for good reasons. Japan has a unique and often misunderstood relationship with tattoos. In this blog, we’ll break down everything you need to know to enjoy your Japan / Tokyo trip confidently and respectfully. 1. Are Tattoos Allowed in Japan? Yes, tattoos are legal in Japan. […]
Have a Drink around Japan Tattoo
Tokyo is a city that never sleeps. You’ll find convenience stores, karaoke places, bars, even cafes that are open 24/7. If there’s one thing among Tokyo’s nightlife you should try during your visit here though, it would definitely be the Izakayas / Japanese style bars! We get asked by our clients quite a lot about good places to drink / try Japanese culture nearby our area (many of our clients stay in Shinjuku, close to where we are located) We would like to write about an Izakaya we enjoy going to, that’s only a few steps away from us! Yasai Kushimaki Vegeta If you tell the manager, Yoshi-san, you are […]
Dutdutan Tattoo Convention in Manila 202...
It has been a few months since we’ve got back from our first ever overseas tattoo convention! It was an honor for us to attend the biggest tattoo convention in the Philippines. We would to say a big THANK YOU to the Dutdutan Team for inviting us! We started off with registering our names and laying out our flash designs. We had already set up booth the night before. To be honest, we weren’t sure how well we would do at a tattoo convention in Manila but we were pleasantly surprised to see how many people were interested in our flash! We ended up being unexpectedly fully booked for the […]
Dutdutan Tattoo Convention 2023
Hey there! We are happy to announce that we will be attending Dutdutan Tattoo Convention in Manila, The Philippines on September 30th and October 1st. Note: We will be away from September 27th to October 3rd. This is our first time attending a convention overseas and we are bringing three artists with us! Betty (from Studio LaRuche) Taiga Ryo See you there! 🙂
¥5000+tax Apprentice Campaign!!
Hey there! Here at Japan Tattoo, we really care about the quality of the tattoos we do here, and we make sure to keep our studio a professional environment. We have had an apprentice for the past year and a half, who has been practicing his tattooing skills on friends and family under our supervision. It’s time for him to make his debut as a professional tattoo artist. We started this campaign for our apprentice to get used to being a professional tattoo artist. Campaign details: Period: June 1st, 2022 – July 31st, 2022 (2 months) Tattoo design: Lettering tattoo (one word per tattoo) – you have to choose from […]
5 Great Vegan Restaurants in Tokyo
Veganism isn’t a well-understood concept yet in Japan, so if you’re vegan, it can be hard to find foods you can eat, and even harder to describe what vegan food is. A common response to saying you don’t eat animal products is, “Oh ok, so how about this fish dish?” or “Oh ok, how about this vegetarian cheese dish?” Not being able to read the menus adds even more risk to the ordering process. You’re generally safe with vegetable tempura, but that can get pretty boring after your 5th time. For those visiting Tokyo who are looking for some good vegan options, here are 5 great vegan restaurants in Tokyo. […]
Why are Tattoos Taboo in Japan?
Japan has had a long and tumultuous history with tattoos. They have been used as tribal identification, cosmetic art, punishment, decoration, gang fealty…the list goes on. For a long time, tattoos were used as a punishment to mark criminals, so bearing the mark had you shunted out of society. This eventually changed with rise of ukiyo-e in the eighteenth century, a type of woodblock printing art that sometimes featured tattooed heroes. These illustrated heroes became popular and influenced style, similarly to manga protagonists of the present-day. In response, the government cracked down on the rising popularity, outlawing the practice. However, some, such as laborers and firemen defied the laws, continuing […]
Things to Do in Tokyo: Omoide Yokocho an...
Something we often get asked is, “What is there to do around here?” For those of you who have just finished getting your brand-spanking-new tattoo at our studio, or perhaps you’re just visiting the area, here are a couple fun places to visit in Shinjuku. Omoide Yokocho Omoide Yokocho translates to “Memory Lane”, a fitting name for a small pocket of the city centre that transports you back to the Showa Era (1926 – 1989). Omoide Yokocho is a historic jewel set amongst the modern city life and towering skyscrapers. Here you can enjoy beer and grilled meats amongst the hustle and bustle of excited tourists and jovial salaryman […]
10 Inspiring Four-Character Japanese Idi...
If you’re thinking about getting a Japanese writing tattoo, why not get a four-character idiom? These tiny sayings are packed with meaning and, often, very wise advice. What is a four-character idiom? Known as yojijukugo in Japanese, four-character idioms are a succinct and poetic way of stating proverbs. They use a mere 4 kanji characters to express complex concepts. It would be similar to English proverbs like “Killing two birds with one stone.” being shortened to “Two birds, one stone.” And Japanese has the added advantage of each kanji having an individual meaning as well as changed meanings when combined with certain other kanji, allowing even more to be expressed […]