Style

Japanese

Japanese tattooing — known as Irezumi — has one of the longest documented traditions of any tattoo form, rooted in centuries of Japanese art, mythology, and social history. The canonical imagery includes koi fish, dragons, tigers, phoenixes, samurai, geisha, oni masks, cherry blossoms, chrysanthemums, and ocean waves drawn in the style of Hokusai or Hiroshige. What distinguishes Irezumi from other styles is its complete system of composition: designs flow with the body's musculature, and subjects carry specific, coded meanings. Placement, background treatment (sumi shading, wind bars, waves), and subject pairing all follow established conventions that serious Irezumi artists study deeply.