The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
Please vote in the Forum Structure Poll. Polling will close at 2PM EST on January 21, 2025.
Yakuza Tattoos
Satsumomo
Rated PG!Registered User regular
Rated PG!Registered User regular
Hey there guys!
I want to get a tattoo, not a full body one, but one like this:
Thing is, I can't find a higher resolution version of the original pic;
or more examples of this style of tattoos. Basically the arms/shoulders being covered only. Anyone have good sources or some tips?
There's a tattoo expo coming to my city, but it's until November, so it's still some time away. The good thing is they have actual Japanese tattoo artists come over, that even use the traditional technique.
I want to get a tattoo, not a full body one, but one like this:
Thing is, I can't find a higher resolution version of the original pic;
or more examples of this style of tattoos. Basically the arms/shoulders being covered only. Anyone have good sources or some tips?
There's a tattoo expo coming to my city, but it's until November, so it's still some time away. The good thing is they have actual Japanese tattoo artists come over, that even use the traditional technique.
Satsumomo on
0
Posts
You're not going to get something this big and detailed at a "show".
Have you ever been tattooed before? How much do you want to spend? Traditional Japanese tattooing is going to be VERY expensive. VERY EXPENSIVE. The average rate per hour for an "average" artist is around $125-$150 an hour nowadays. For good to excellent work, expect to spend $175-$250 an hour.
Go around to different shops and look through portfolios and find someone in your city who does good Asian work. Make an appointment for a consultation. Do not ever, ever, ever get a tattoo at a place that will accept you as a walk in.
Much thanks for the tips, I had been told something along the lines of having to wait up to 6 months for an appointment.
Oh, I don't have any tattoos.
Here ya go.
Still need a higher res of the image in the OP if someone else has that!
You're going to see a lot of tattoos in that pattern. Don't copy the tattoo exactly. I'm sure whoever you have do it will be able to put a personal spin on it.
You'd better be really certain what those things mean.
I've seen suburban white kids with russian/polish style prison tattoos. The kind that have to be earned (sort of). They don't carry them well at all, and when you ask why they have a spade or stars on their chest/knees, they thought they looked nice.
This, among other reasons, is why I would advise against him getting one of these tattoos.
I've been to Japan, and will most probably go back, but I don't exactly plan to go around shirtless.
Edit: Also, reading around, from what I gather, just having any kind of tattoo will cause disgust in Japan in select locations.
Well, there's a huge difference between traditional Asian work and things like Sailor Jerry swallows. The swallows are "flash art" and aren't meant to be precious snowflakes of tattoos. They're part of a very old American tradition. That's the charm of them I guess.
Yes. Those select locations would be "most of them".
Hell, if someone tried to plant a "Schoolgirl Panties" vending machine in the States, I don't think it would go over too well. It's all relative.
Don't let the "offensive in Japan" bit bother you, especially if it's going to be kept hidden.
Just for the record, I have 4 tattoos on my leg, 4 on my arms, and one on each foot. All of them are clearly visible in my chosen attire: shorts, t-shirt, and flip-flops.
Regardless of the style, most hot springs/bathhouses won't be letting you in, and you won't be getting a job at most traditional/conservative businesses in Japan (my friend's Japanese wife just lost her job because the doctor saw her small non-Japanese ankle tattoo during a routine physical), but other than that it really ain't no thang.
Lol, yeah, doesn't need to be yakuza-styled to get peculiar looks in the land of the Rising Sun.
The second time we went there, my pal and I were getting the JR Line to shinjuku, and it being warmer than a sand-toads nads, I was wearing apair of baggy skate shorts and a t-shirt. I have quite a few tattoos, my most prominent being a tattoo of the Robot Devil from Futurama on my right leg. I'm telling you, the looks that my leg got from an old couple sitting across from us was quite peculiar.
On the flipside, a bunch of japanese girls in akihabara found my tattoos amazing and trailed us for about an hour before wanting to pose for pics. Go figure
how does this even work?
was it a company checkup? Or did her own doctor contact the place she worked in?
I'm confuzzled
You can get into the hot springs and such if the tattoos are covered. I have 3 tattoos (foot, Shoulder, shoulder.) Every time I go to the onsens I toss on some bandages or wear a rash guard. When they ask about it I just say I have a tatoo and I didn't want to be rude by exposing it. Normally this is enough. Granted mine are not much bigger than playing cards. Something like the OP would get you the big old cross arm X
People understand that Gaijin tattoos are not to be taken seriously. Still you're more than a little thick if you want to get a "yakuza" tattoo.
I appreciate that others may not find this disrespectful, but it's something to at least keep in mind.
If the weight is on your shoulders, its not a pompadour
The truly righteous pomp requires sufficient brace work to hold it aloft.
Significant meaning to the Yakuza, no less.
I also like the style, personally, but there's way too much history and culture behind it, plus it's extremely expensive.
No punch perms.
I don't live in Japan, or even in the US. I don't hang out with the Japanese mafia and these tattoos are concealed. I can see this being a problem if I'm in Japan at a traditional Japanese wedding and then I decide to rip my shirt off to show my tattoos.
Those tattoos mean something very important to a specific group of people. By getting one to "look cool", you're trivializing their culture. It's disrespectful.
Secondly getting a full back tattoo as your first tattoo is the worst idea ever conceived
I have a half back piece and it was one of the most painful experiences of my life
I need another tattoo...hmmm...
That alone should be enough for you not to do it. If that isn't enough you should actually try and find a yakuza to talk to. I met a guy in Japan briefly and he only had his shoulders, arms, and back done so far. The process is not like normal tattooing. If done incorrectly sweat glands in large areas on your body will either shut down or cease working properly. You won't die from it, but it leaves your skin gross and clammy. It can also affect the coloring in your skin.
I never asked the guy what would happen if a white dude was walking around with these tattoos, but I have a pretty good idea. I wouldn't worry about cement shoes or being killed but they might clip off your right pinky finger at the last joint. Anyway man just start small. Get something on an arm or a shoulder and sit with it for six months and see how you like it.
Shogun Streams Vidya
I like these tattoos because I'm really fond of the art style of old Japanese mythology. When I decided I wanted a tattoo, I always thought I wanted something decorative, like patterns. Not an explicit figure, but patterns, and these patterns really click with me.
I still think it's something to take into consideration. Tattoos are a very, very big deal, and if the pros are "looks good" and the cons are "traditional tattoo of Japanese organized crime, looked down upon in certain cultures (Japan isn't the only one, folks), extremely expensive, takes up a large part of the body" you have to be really sure you like the way it looks.
But any tattoo place in the states would do it though it obviously wouldn't be the traditional way.
Shogun Streams Vidya