Japanese Tattoos

Tebori (hand-tattooing) has largely been replaced now by Yobori (machine tattooing).  Tebori give a far superior finish as it creates a gradation of tones that are difficult to achieve using a tattoo machine.

Traditional Japanese Tattoos (irezumi) are carried out by specialist (often illusive) tattooists using the Tebori method.  It is estimated that there are about one hundred recognized practitioners of alive today in Japan.

Full body irezumi (tebori)  is painful, time-consuming and expensive: a typical traditional body suit (covering the arms, back, upper legs and chest, but leaving an untattooed ‘river’ down the center of the body where an unbottoned shirt or coat could conceal the tattoo) can take up to ten years to complete, with weekly visits to the tattooist and can cost in excess of US$30-50,000.

It is estimated that approximately twenty thousand Japanese have half body tattoos, with about two hundred carrying on with a full body tattoo.