Namakubi tattoos are one of the most popular and recognizable motifs in Japanese tattooing.
More of a neo Japanese style hand namakubi, done by Alessandro Lauricella.Very traditional lady namakubi done by Hide Ichibay at Three Tides Tattoo in Tokyo.Namakubi chest piece done by Ichi Hatano at Ichi Tattoo in Tokyo.Namakubi and snake done by Sergey Vaskevich in Warsaw, Poland.Heavily stylized namakubi done by Zach Black at Akara Arts Tattoo in Wisconsin.
Namakubi are severed heads, usually fresh, and sometimes impaled on stakes, arrows, or swords/knives.
Blue and bloody namakubi done by Alex Rusty at Lighthouse Tattoo in Sydney, Australia.Neo Japanese piece done by Horiei Shinshu in Matsumoto, Japan.Broken katana through the head done by Jeremy Deboer in Adelaide.Heavy black piece by Shinya at Studio Muscat in Tokyo, Japan.
Namakubi can have a number of different meanings including respect for the enemy, overcoming a fear, or accepting ones own fate with honour.
Three arrows through a head in a more American traditional style piece. Done by Andrew Nectar at Fine Tattooing in Lethbridge, Alberta.Bleeding head done by Horihana at Kirin Tattoo in Brasil.Ghastly namakubi done by Lango Oliveira at Black Heart Tattoo in San Francisco.Blackwork namakubi with arrows done by Stephen Doan.
In ancient Japanese history, taking the head of ones enemy is the ultimate sign of respect and honour. It is also a representation of life’s full circle coming to an end.
Sword right through the cheeks by Ash Davies at Stronghold Tattoo in Cardiff Bay.Japanese namakubi part of a bodysuit, done by Horishige in Osaka, Japan.Half sleeve with maple leaves done by Matteo Ceccarini at Extreme Needle Tattoo Studio in London, England.Crazy eyed namakubi done by Tamar Karp at The Black Lodge in Bristol.
Namakubi are almost always done in a traditional Japanese style, but can also be done in neo Japanese, neo traditional, and American traditional styles.
Rotting neo traditional namakubi done by Dan Arietti at Black Sails Tattoo in Brighton.Sliced open namakubi done by Horiyoshi the third in Yokohama, Japan.Matching legs done by Rich Handford at Kapala Tattoo in Winnipeg Manitoba.Another neo Japanese piece done by Zach Black at Akara Arts Tattoo in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Getting tattooed in another country can be a daunting experience. Where do you even start? This post is designed to walk you through the steps of getting a tattoo while visiting Japan and make it a little less stressful.
I was tattooed in Japan on June 2nd, 2018, by Hide Ichibay at Three Tides Tattoo in Tokyo.
If you’re getting a tattoo in Japan, i’m going to assume you’re wanting some sort of Japanese tattoo, whether it’s traditional or just something to remember your trip by. Traditional Japanese tattoos are their own style, but Japanese themed pieces can be done in a few different styles. Such as traditional Japanese, neo Japanese, realistic Japanese, black and grey, and black work.
Once you know what style you want you can start looking for artists. The best way to do this I find, is to look in a specific city. So for myself I started with a simple google search of traditional Japanese artists in Tokyo. I sifted through the first three pages on google, looking at some websites and portfolios and chose my top three shops and a few different artists. Once I had those I looked more at their sites and checked out more portfolios, pricing, and most importantly their hygiene. Lots of artists will also have Instagram accounts, such as my artist, making it easy to see their work.
Tattoo shops in Japan aren’t regulated like shops are in Western countries since in Japan only someone with a medical degree can legally tattoo. Therefore the shops you’re seeing aren’t regulated by the government, so you want to make sure they aren’t re-using any tattooing instruments that touch blood, and that the shop is clean. Most sites will have a section on this, and if the site is in Japanese and you can’t read it, such as myself; you can always use google translate to get the gist of it. If you’re still questioning it you can also send an email, or just pick another shop.
Once you have a shop and artist picked out you can send an email. Some shops, such as Three Tides, will have a receptionist that you will deal with, rather than the actual artist. You’ll want to email at least a few months in advance (some artists will require more time than that, even up to a year in advance), and request an artist, and give a few different days that would work for you. You should also include some reference pictures for what you would like, include any needed information like if the tattoo will be in colour or not, and how big you would like it and where it’s going on your body. Once that is set up you may also have to include a picture of where on your body it’s going, especially if you have other tattoos in that area that the artist has to work around.
You may also be required to send a deposit to hold your spot. This is normal and most shops will use PayPal, though if you don’t have PayPal and don’t want to get it you may be able to work something else out such as a direct deposit.
The next step is getting your tattoo finally! If you have tattoos then you know what to do and you’re all set. The only difference may be that you’re used to having a consultation first, and for this tattoo you’ll spend the first thirty minutes to an hour basically doing that. If it’s your first tattoo then you’ll want to make sure you eat something before your appointment, and maybe have a juice box with you incase your blood sugar gets low.
This was my first time getting tattooed in a country that is so hot and humid, but I had gotten some tips from other people who had been tattooed in Japan as well. Most people have their favourite cream or gel that they like to use for healing (mine is vitamin E gel or a cucumber cream) and you can still use that, but for dealing with the heat I recommend using a chilled coconut oil. You can keep it in the fridge (it will harden quite a bit) and use a tiny amount when it’s dry. The coolness feels fantastic in the heat of Japan. Thanks to my new friend off of Reddit for that tip!
Finally you can enjoy your new tattoo! Have fun being tattooed in Japan and on your trip.
My healed Japanese tattoo by Hide Ichibay.
If you have any questions about getting tattooed in Japan feel free to leave a comment.
Shige works out of Yellow Blaze Tattoo Studio in Yokohama, Japan.
Beautiful back piece that leads into a sleeve as well as legs.Very bright sleeve.Full leg sleeve.Rib panel that attaches to a back piece.
He has been tattooing since 1995, after teaching himself the craft.
Brilliant bodysuit.Full samurai back piece.3/4 sleeve with a Buddhist goddess, Benzaiten.Hannya torso piece.
He tattoos in the Japanese style, while adding some realism to his pieces, making a lot of his work neo-Japanese.
Full sleeve that also contains some coverups.Hannya back piece.Hannya chest piece.Full body suit with lots of colour.
Shige does large pieces including full sleeves, leg sleeves, back pieces, chest, and body suits.
Half hannya torso piece mixed with tribal in a collaborative piece.Almost full bodysuit with lots of natural imagery.Tiger on top of the head.Fudo Myoo on the back of the head.
Much of Shige’s work revolves around Buddhism, including demons and gods and goddesses.
Bright full sleeve.Sleeve topped with a raven.Bright red hand piece of Agyou.
Gakkin is a (mainly) blackwork and freehand artist working out of Amsterdam after first working in Kyoto.
Blackwork raven across the back of the neck.Large octopus sleeve and chest piece.Bodysuit featuring birds, flowers, wind, and clouds.Huge snake torso piece.
His pieces are all large scale. Full sleeves, large torso pieces, back pieces, and bodysuits.
Gruesome namakubi (severed head), with hair that flows into an almost cloudlike state.Massive crane back piece with clouds, waves, and koi.Negative space stomach hannya as part of a full bodysuit of mainly solid black.Red flowers on heavy black leg sleeve, with white spider web.
He collaborates often now with another Japanese blackwork artist, Nissaco. The two work well together, and their pieces flow seamlessly into each other.
Bright flowers within a dark backdrop.Chrysanthemum with Japanese noh mask.Back of a bodysuit featuring negative space geometric designs.Beautiful blackwork moon and cloud back piece.
His work is largely inspired by nature. Everything from wind, water, flowers, mountains, the sun, and the moon, and animals.
Large brushstroke style.Geometric, blackwork sleeve.Large chrysanthemum as part of a sleeve.
Gakkin also takes direct inspiration from ancient Japanese painters, adding his own interpretations.
Waves and wind in these nature sleeves.Part of a bodysuit featuring wind and waves.Bright red flowers on heavy black.
Though he mainly works with black, he does also add splashes of red to draw the eye. In an interview with Tattoo Life, he said about working with black “I believe that black is the most important color in tattooing. Every ancient tattooing culture – Maori, Japanese, and Polynesian – considers it as such. It just works better than any other color on the skin.” (www.tattoolife.com)
kuchisake-onna ghost, from stories dating back to the Edo period.Tsuchigumo, the Japanese spider demon.Collaboration piece done with Nissaco at the London tattoo convention 2017.
Frogs are a common subject in Japanese irezumi. These frogs are often seen holding leaves, instruments, food, or other household items. They are also often dressed as samurai; katana and all.
Frog with its own irezumi, wielding a meat cleaver. Done by Alex Henderson at Speakeasy Tattoo.Another frog by Alex Henderson, directly influenced by Kyôsai.A neo Japanese piece done by Henbohenning.Bright frog done by Kye Wolff at Black Tide Tattoo in Melbourne, Australia.Bright buddhist frog done by Pino Cafaro.
These frogs are largely based off of woodblock prints painted by Kawanabe Kyôsai. Kyôsai painted a number of frogs, but his most famous piece is called “Fashionable Battle of Frogs (Fûryû kaeru ôgassen no zu)”.
Fashionable Battle of Frogs (Fûryû kaeru ôgassen no zu)Cute frog munching on some ramen. Done by Amber Schade in Melbourne, Australia.Frog playing a Japanese shamisen done by Hide Ichibay at Three Tides Tattoo in Tokyo.Green frog done by Lance at Authentink Tattoo Studio, Sydney, Australia.Bold blackwork frog with its own chrysanthemum tattoo, done by Thomaz Fernando.Frog dumping out a jar filled with koi fish done by Tien Tien done in Taiwan.
These frogs are mainly done in a traditional Japanese style, though they can also be done as more American traditional, or neo traditional.
A brighter frog done by Buda tatuagens Araraquara in São Paulo, Brasil.
They are usually done with full colour, with a similar colour palette to the paintings.
Bold dancing frog with Japanese fan done by Caio Piñeiro, at Sang Bleu Tattoo in London.Angry looking samurai frog done by Horimatsu.Dark ninja frog done by Makoto in Fukuoka, Japan.
Some of these frogs even have their own irezumi. Usually flower designs that are simple for the artist to make small.
Frog ready to do battle, featuring its own hannya tattoo. Done by Fabio Platino in Naples.Dark monster-like frogs done by Ganji at Three Tides Tattoo in Tokyo.Kyôsai’s frog done by Jade Harper at Rebel Waltz Tattoo in Winnipeg, Manitoba.Samurai frog in full clothing done by Nick Maurypovich at Five Fathoms Tattoo in Vernon BC.Samurai frog head also done by Nick in BC.A third tall and gangly frog samurai done by Nick.
Yōkai are supernatural monsters/ghosts/demons from Japanese folklore. The word itself is made up from the kanji for “bewitching, attractive, and calamity” and “spectre, apparition, mystery, and suspicious.” There are hundreds and hundreds of yōkai, from fairly harmless tricksters, to monsters that prey on human flesh. Being an animal that many are already afraid of, of course there are also spider yōkai.
As a tattoo these creatures are usually done in Japanese style, but can also be neo traditional, American traditional, black and grey, or blackwork.
There are three main types of spider yōkai:
-Ushi Oni: Which is actually classified as an ox demon. This demon is often depicted with the head of an ox and the body of a spider, and is usually near bodies of water. These creatures are always carnivorous and dangerous to humans. They are not always spiders, but this is one of the more popular depictions. The Ushi Oni is described as cruel and vicious, breathing toxic poison, and sometimes inflicting curses or spreading disease.
Blackwork Japanese piece by Ben Wight at Pyramid Arts Tattoo.Black and grey Japanese piece by Brian Faulk at Hand of Glory Tattoo.
-Tsuchigumo: A giant spider who can live a very long time, and grow to monstrous sizes. When they get old enough they can transform themselves into other yōkai, even taking the form of humans in order to lure and kill people. These creatures live in forests and mountains, mainly preying on travelers. One famous tale tells of this creature transforming into a beautiful woman who leads an army of yōkai against Japan. A man named Yorimitsu is the first to meet the beast on the battlefield and strikes her, making the army disappear. The Japanese army then follows her back to her cave where she morphs back into a giant spider. Yorimitsu slices her open, unleashing thousands of human sized baby spiders. The Japanese army kills every last one and returns victorious.
Huge spider with skulls and web by Adrian Evans at Saints and Sinners Tattoo in Dallas.Cover up piece by Alexander Rusty Cairns at Lighthouse Tattoo in Sydney, Australia.Spider with hannya mask by Gab Lavoie at Tattoo Mania in Montreal, Canada.Black and grey beast done by Ganji at Tokyo Three Tides Tattoo in Tokyo, Japan.Very traditional Japanese piece done by Horihiro Mitomo at Three Tides Tattoo Tokyo/Osaka, Japan.Brilliant Japanese scalp banger done by Vond Barta at Sacred Monkey Tattoo in Melbourne.
Jorōgumo: This creature was known as the “whore spider” but is now better known as “entangling bride”. She lives both as a beautiful yōkai in human form and as a giant spider. This spider gains the ability to transform after it has lived for 400 years. She uses her human form to lure unsuspecting men to her lair before eating them. They live in caves, forests, or abandoned houses. This creature is often seen as part spider, part woman, generally the body of a spider and head of a woman.
More American traditional piece with Japanese influence by Eric Alcantara at Ridgewood Tattoo Studio.Colorful piece by Francesco Giamblanco at Black Horse Tattoo.Half spider half woman by George Galloway at Windhorse Tattoo.Colorful neo traditional piece by Hozho at Tattoo Station.Terrifying neo traditional piece with noh mask as the head. Done by Nhia Yang at Goodkind Tattoo in Chicago.Spider with skulls by Nick Crampton at Chapel Tattoo.More American traditional piece by Vova Bydin at Citizen Ink in Brooklyn NYC.
All versions of this beast are terrifying, and all make a bold tattoo. Which is your favorite?
Oscar Hove is co-owner of Ondo Tattoo in Barcelona, Spain. His work is mainly surreal Japanese blackwork, mixing traditional Japanese themes with macabre surrealist work.
Matching feet. Stylized noh mask with horns.Noh mask on snake body.Split mask down the middle.
A great deal of his pieces are Japanese masks, split in half, or more, and making them terrifying.
Five split noh masks with horns in brilliant chest piece.Horned mask with facemask common in Asian countries, with kanji lettering.Brilliant blackwork Japanese oni backpiece.Detached jaw noh/hannya inspired mask.Beautifully dark mask and peony flower.
Other than Japanese inspired work, Oscar also does some neo traditional, and American traditional blackwork.
Blackwork bird and skull on thigh.Traditional blackwork butterflies.
While his styles vary every once in awhile, his work is all dark both in colour and theme.
Mask split down the middle by Japanese knife.Terrifying split hannya mask.Yokai inspired rotting face.Split hannya on stomach, releasing inner monster.Matching hannya and noh masks with kanji lettering.
Oscar is a must visit artist if you find yourself in Barcelona!
