1st Tattoo in Japan

breadhead · 10-04-2015 6:40pm #1

I'm considering getting my first tattoo while on holidays in Japan in the coming weeks. The artist I was thinking of is Gakkin in Kyoto. I emailed the studio to make initial enquiries which were positive and so before I go further and put a deposit on I have some deciding to do.

Is getting tattooed abroad something you would be against for your first? How would you best convey what you have in mind to someone far away? I'm quite open to design suggestion and I know what I like of his online work so would be thinking something quite similar. Is it ok to be that vague? I think indecisiveness on a design is the reason I don't have any thus far but I reckon its time perhaps time to bite the bullet.

If anyone has any thoughts on the artist or this idea in general I'd be keen to know.
Thanks!

nc19 · 10-04-2015 6:42pm

Are you going for a Japanese piece?

If so I'd imagine there's no better place to get one. If you're going for a celtic knot then maybe not so much...

Best of luck

bunnyarmstrong · 10-04-2015 6:46pm

breadhead wrote: »

I'm considering getting my first tattoo while on holidays in Japan in the coming weeks. The artist I was thinking of is Gakkin in Kyoto. I emailed the studio to make initial enquiries which were positive and so before I go further and put a deposit on I have some deciding to do.

Is getting tattooed abroad something you would be against for your first? How would you best convey what you have in mind to someone far away? I'm quite open to design suggestion and I know what I like of his online work so would be thinking something quite similar. Is it ok to be that vague? I think indecisiveness on a design is the reason I don't have any thus far but I reckon its time perhaps time to bite the bullet.

If anyone has any thoughts on the artist or this idea in general I'd be keen to know.
Thanks!

Hi! First of all, best of luck in your decision to get your first tattoo!

There are better qualified people to talk to on here about some of your post, so I'll answer the aspect I feel comfortable with.

I got my second tattoo in Osaka back in 2013. A place called three tides tattoos and the artist was Hiroshi. Brilliant experience and I was delighted with the result.

What happened was this: I emailed them with design ideas and we decided on a day/time. I dropped in the day before and we looked over his design. We discussed prices. I made a few requests and came back the next day, got my tattoo and paid up.

Maybe not very helpful to you, but my experience with getting a tattoo abroad, in Japan was excellent.

EDIT: I can't attach a link as I'm too newbie, but if you want to see the piece I got, PM me.

nxbyveromdwjpg · 10-04-2015 7:36pm

breadhead wrote: »

I'm considering getting my first tattoo while on holidays in Japan in the coming weeks. The artist I was thinking of is Gakkin in Kyoto. I emailed the studio to make initial enquiries which were positive and so before I go further and put a deposit on I have some deciding to do.

Is getting tattooed abroad something you would be against for your first? How would you best convey what you have in mind to someone far away? I'm quite open to design suggestion and I know what I like of his online work so would be thinking something quite similar. Is it ok to be that vague? I think indecisiveness on a design is the reason I don't have any thus far but I reckon its time perhaps time to bite the bullet.

If anyone has any thoughts on the artist or this idea in general I'd be keen to know.
Thanks!

That will be no problem for most artists, in fact you'll probably get their best work that way if they can do something they really want to do or a cool idea in their style that they've had in mind for some time.

Nearly all of mine I've let the artists have near enough creative control on the piece, I just give a broad outline of my idea and let them do their thing.

I've travelled to Poland and UK for tattoos several times and so have arranged online. It's no problem.

Go for it.