Japanese tattooing is one of the styles I connect with most. I love how a sleeve, back piece, or even a full bodysuit can bring different characters and elements together into one composition.
Dragons, hannya masks, geisha, koi, peonies, waves — there's a lot to work with, and I like combining traditional Japanese imagery with my own approach to drawing and detail.
I'm based in Los Angeles and focus on large-scale projects, planned around the body and completed through full-day tattoo sessions.
Take a look at my work below. If you have an idea for a Japanese tattoo, I'd love to hear about it.
Here's a selection of my Japanese-inspired work, from traditional motifs to more modern compositions. Some pieces are built around bold color, others around black and grey, contrast, and fine detail.
I prefer showing the actual tattoos rather than talking too much about them. Have a look and see what catches your eye.
Japanese tattooing really opens up when there's enough room for the composition. A full sleeve gives me space to work with movement, characters, flowers, and background elements without crowding everything together.
The back gives even more freedom. A dragon, geisha, samurai, or another central figure can become the focus of a much larger scene, with waves, clouds, and other details connecting the whole piece.
I also like planning tattoos with the possibility of expanding them later. A sleeve might eventually connect to the chest or back. You don't have to commit to a bodysuit from the beginning, but it's worth thinking ahead so everything can work together if you decide to continue.
My focus is on larger projects rather than small, standalone tattoos. That gives me the space to develop the design properly.
I often combine Japanese tattooing with neo-traditional elements, especially when I want to bring more illustrative detail, expressive characters, or a different approach to color into a composition.
That's why some of the tattoos you see here also appear in my Neo-Traditional Tattoos gallery. I don't believe a good tattoo has to fit into just one style.
For larger pieces, I usually prepare the main characters as stencils so I can keep the proportions where I want them. Then I often draw the background, waves, and transitions freehand, directly on the body. That helps everything follow the anatomy instead of looking like a flat drawing wrapped around an arm or a back.
I work in both color and black and grey. Traditional Japanese tattoos are known for strong colors, but a more restrained palette can be just as interesting. I care more about whether the composition works than about following a fixed formula.
Send me a few references, tell me what you want to see in the tattoo, and which part of your body you're planning to cover. You don't need to have every detail figured out. We can discuss the characters, the overall direction, and how much space the design needs.
For Japanese tattoos, placement is a big part of the design. I think about how the main elements will sit on your body, how the background will connect them, and whether the piece might grow into a larger project later.
I book full days for large tattoo projects rather than trying to squeeze them into short appointments. A full sleeve or back piece usually takes multiple sessions. How many depends on the size, detail, color, and how the work progresses.
Large projects come together in stages. Between sessions, your skin needs time to recover. We can then continue with the next part of the composition, adding shading, color, backgrounds, and finishing details as needed.
I want the finished tattoo to look like one complete piece, even if it takes several appointments to get there.
Whether you're thinking about your first full sleeve or a larger piece that connects with tattoos you already have, send me your idea.
I'm always interested in Japanese projects that give me room to draw, experiment, and build something that works with the body.
Let's talk about what you have in mind.
I work with both. Some clients want something closer to traditional Japanese tattooing, while others are looking for a more modern piece that still uses Japanese imagery and composition.
I often mix traditional elements with my own drawing style, and sometimes I combine Japanese tattooing with neo-traditional influences. What matters most to me is building a strong composition that fits the body and feels complete.
Yes. I work in both full color and black and grey.
Traditional Japanese tattoos are often associated with strong color, but black and grey can work just as well, especially when the composition relies on contrast, shading, and movement. The right choice depends on the subject, the mood you're after, and how the tattoo fits with the rest of your body.
Absolutely. That's something I often keep in mind when planning a Japanese tattoo.
A sleeve can later connect to the chest, shoulder, or back, so it helps to think ahead even if you're not ready to commit to a bigger project right away. I can design the piece so it works well now and still leaves room for future expansion.
It depends on the size, the amount of detail, whether the tattoo is color or black and grey, and how your skin handles the process.
A full sleeve or back piece usually takes multiple full-day sessions. During the consultation, I can give you a better sense of the scope based on your idea and the area you want to cover.
Yes. Consultations are free.
You can send me your idea, references, and the placement you're considering, and we can talk through the direction of the tattoo before booking. I usually respond within 1–3 business days, and consultations can be online or in person at my studio in Los Angeles.