By Crystal Morey
I dropped Bunshin Horitoshi’s shop today. I adore his work, particularly his underwater creatures and I think that, for an emerging artist, he’s done a remarkable job creating a signature style for himself, while still adhering to the strict canon of wabori (Japanese traditional tattoo motifs). His work is simple yet bold and flatters the form. There is a wonderful playfulness to his illustrations, which mirror Horitoshi’s own personality and it is this levity that make his pieces so appealing and unique.
By Diamond Jim
What has happened and is still happening in Japan is for us an unthinkable nightmare. Sadly it is not a dream anyone can awake from. Most of us go through life half asleep, concerned with vacation time and whether or not we can afford the newest and best of things. Imagine these things being swept away from you and not knowing if your family members are alive. To survive a natural disaster is a horrifying experience. After you have survived you try to pick up the pieces and with the help of others you start anew. Our brothers and sisters in Japan are not able to do this because for them the disaster is not over; it seems only to be getting worse…
Courtesy of Shirts and Destroy: On the six-month anniversary of the devastating tsunami that swept over northern Japan, New York City’s most renowned tattoo artists have come together to create a completely unique, limited edition spiral bound collection of tattoo flash sheets, entitled Flash For Japan to benefit victims of the tsunami…
By Crystal Morey
Kappas are definitely one of the oddest indigenous Japanese creatures. They are depicted simultaneously as both sinister and unerringly cute. They are typically the size of a large child and appear to be a cross between a chimpanzee and a turtle. Their bodies usually resemble a monkey or upright frog with a turtle like head (often with a beak). (more…)
By Crystal Morey Additional Photos By Hiro Hata
I recently had the opportunity to go out to Horiren’s studio in Saitama. Self-taught tebori (hand-poke) artist and student of legendary Ozuma Kaname. Horiren discusses the disappearing art of Shamisen Bori.
I love going out to Horiren’s, her studio is standard for a traditional Japanese tebori artist, a secluded house with no street signs, traditional tatami mats and a low kotatsu table. Her client today was an older gentleman with an amazing black and grey koi backpiece, laid out on the mats in fundoshi, the diaper-like attire seen in photos… (more…)
As many people in the tattoo world are aware, Horitomo has been busy working on his first book and seminar. I was just telling my girlfriend Molly that I was going to blog about this and she beat me to the punch. She even snapped some photos at Horitomo’s house when he was showing us his drawings. Here is a sneak-peak at what I think will be one of the most important books in tattooing. Introducing guest blogger Molly Skobba… Enjoy!
-Horitaka
By Dave Allen Photos by Jayme Ford
I never thought that I could make much difference in the world, let alone inspire others to follow my lead. I’m just a hard-working tattoo artist that no one’s heard of. And to tell you the truth, I don’t mind slaving away in anonymity. But I guess when certain circumstances move you to act there’s no telling what might happen…
By Crystal Morey
The Japanese Kirin traces its origins to Chinese mythology, but they have diverged quite a bit since then, both in physical appearance and attributes. In Japan, Kirin are believed to be more powerful than the dragon or phoenix, but are much less aggressive…
By Crystal Morey
When asked to do some interviews over here in Japan for the TAM Blog I immediately thought of profiling Kishi San from 56 Tattoo in Shibuya, Tokyo. In the tragic aftermath of the quake in Japan’s Tohoku prefecture, Kishi-San immediately went into action contacting his immense web of tattooers and organizing his motorcycle club, the 56 Syndicate, to assist in the still ongoing struggle. I sat down with him and Ako (owner of Ghetto Culture and brother to everyone in the Tokyo underground scene) for a coffee… (more…)
The “Rollo & Me” strip is a series of stories told by Keith Underwood and illustrated by Dan Henk which appear regularly in Tattoo Artist Magazine. They chronicle Keith’s experiences living with and working alongside one of tattooing’s greatest icons of the 20th century- Mike ‘Rollo Banks’ Malone. Mike departed this life in 2007 but these stories represent Keith’s healing process and are figuratively supposed to occur on the couch of his therapist.
Enjoy. There’s more to come.
By Ed Hardy:
I first met Chris Trevino when he and his then-partner, Shawn Degan, came to San Francisco in about 1992 to talk with me about getting some work done. He had not been tattooing very long at that time but Chris’ enthusiasm and ideas were off the charts… [Video and pictures on expanded page](more…)
This is a fitting title for Chris Trevino’s first book. His tattoos often depict these precise themes. But more notably, the title is actually fitting for Chris himself. In many ways he embodies the eternal qualities of the warrior hero or the deified persona of an ancient culture’s history; in short, a modern knight in quest for the mythic grail. His accomplishments, perhaps in a slightly older culture and rendered symbolically in the romantic style, could very well be the foundation of myth.(more…)
The biggest earthquake to shake Japan, since records began almost 150 years ago, hit the country’s northeast coast. That and the tsunami that followed has devastated the island nation of Japan. Japanese influence on modern-day tattooing is undeniably vast. The least we can do is some tattooing in return… (more…)
From now until June 1st, 2011, I will donate 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of all of the three Japanese colors I sell. These colors are Japanese Orange, Japanese Red and Japanese Pink. (more…)
As the dust settles from the earthquake and tsunami that shook Japan to its foundation, tattoo artists including Jeff Gogue, Mike Godfrey, Horitaka, Chad Koeplinger and Japanese resident, Shige, have come forward to donate their time and artistic talents to help raise money for people of Japan. (more…)
The recent natural disasters in Japan have sent shock-waves through the global community, which left many people wondering how they could help the Japanese people in their time of need. One such community that has been organizing to support Japan is also a community that has been heavily influenced by Japanese culture, the global tattoo community. (more…)
The “Rollo & Me” strip is a series of stories told by Keith Underwood and illustrated by Dan Henk which appear regularly in Tattoo Artist Magazine. They chronicle Keith’s experiences living with and working alongside one of tattooing’s greatest icons of the 20th century- Mike ‘Rollo Banks’ Malone. Mike departed this life in 2007 but these stories represent Keith’s healing process and are figuratively supposed to occur on the couch of his therapist.
Enjoy. There’s more to come.
How did I spend my second day in Japan? Well, I spent the entire day in my box of a room, downloading music, movies and TV shows onto my computer. Laying on my “tatame” mattress, holed away from the brisk wind and foreign language. I ate sushi and other fast food from the 7-11, which was right around the corner –that shit was good. (more…)
I am in a coffee house in Tokyo, Japan as I write this. A coffee is about five-fucking dollars. I managed to find one of the cheapest places to sleep in Tokyo and it is $33 dollars a night. I don’t have a lot of money, so living on the cheap is a must and it is a serious challenge in the Land of the Rising Sun. (more…)
By Crystal Morey
By Diamond Jim
Courtesy of Shirts and Destroy: On the six-month anniversary of the devastating tsunami that swept over northern Japan, New York City’s most renowned tattoo artists have come together to create a completely unique, limited edition spiral bound collection of tattoo flash sheets, entitled Flash For Japan to benefit victims of the tsunami…
By Crystal Morey
By Crystal Morey
As many people in the tattoo world are aware, Horitomo has been busy working on his first book and seminar. I was just telling my girlfriend Molly that I was going to blog about this and she beat me to the punch. She even snapped some photos at Horitomo’s house when he was showing us his drawings. Here is a sneak-peak at what I think will be one of the most important books in tattooing. Introducing guest blogger Molly Skobba… Enjoy!
By Dave Allen 
By Crystal Morey
By Crystal Morey
The “Rollo & Me” strip is a series of stories told by Keith Underwood and illustrated by Dan Henk which appear regularly in Tattoo Artist Magazine. They chronicle Keith’s experiences living with and working alongside one of tattooing’s greatest icons of the 20th century- Mike ‘Rollo Banks’ Malone. Mike departed this life in 2007 but these stories represent Keith’s healing process and are figuratively supposed to occur on the couch of his therapist.
By Ed Hardy:
Gods and Warriors…
By Craig Driscoll
Thanks for your support!
