TATTOO TALES: A SIT DOWN WITH TAPPEI
Tattooing is much like graffiti; tasteful for the people who get it, a nuisance for the people who just don’t.
This is especially prominent in a country like Japan, as tattooing has an unfortunate affiliation with the ‘Yakuza’. The industry is slowly but surely changing, however. In 2017, Taiki Masuda, a tattoo artist based in Osaka was faced with a criminal trial, slapped with a hefty fine of 150,000 yen for tattooing his clients without a medical license. Rather than abiding by the rules, he took a stand against the status quo and defended his actions, stating that the act of tattooing is a form of ‘self-expression’ rather than a medical procedure. This battle for change would continue for another 3 years with multiple trials, garnering nationwide attention. Not only would his actions finally pay off as an Osaka district court ruling acquitted him, but in September 2020, the supreme court would recognize tattooing in Japan as an ‘art form’, a big win for the industry.
Taiki Masuda, holding up a sign saying ‘innocent’ during one of his trials
Despite this shift, the stigma still stings when it comes to the topic of tattoos in Japan. Not only are people prohibited from showing tattoos in public bathhouses, pools, and gyms but the same harsh rules apply to athletes. A debate was sparked in 2021 when pro boxing champion Kazuto Ioka, accidentally exposed his tattoo after the foundation initially put over it was wiped off during his intense fight with Kosei Tanaka on New Year's Eve. After winning the game, the JBC [Japanese Boxing commission] would later consider disqualifying him, stripping away his title as exposure of any type of ink on the body during the game is against the rules. The reasoning behind it is questionable, however, put in place so that spectators are not distraught by the sight of tattoos and foreigners are exempt from such regulations.
This again raises the question, should these rules still be applied and why are they so hard to change?
Kazuki Ioka with his tattoo during his fight against Kosei Tanaka on New Year's Eve
The oldest form of tattooing in Japan is called ‘tebori’, ‘wabori’ or ‘horimono’ consisting of the tattoo artist manually etching ink underneath the top layer of skin with a wooden rod; a process that takes much longer than tattooing with a machine. During this time, tattoos were not affiliated with organized crime but more so acknowledged as something that would ward off bad spirits.
It was only during the edo period in the early 18th century that a tattoo penalty would however be put in place by the government for criminals to be distinguishable from the public. The tattoo design would differ according to which region the crime was convicted in. In Edo or modern-day Tokyo, two black lines across the arm, in Kyoto two vertical lines in parallel to one another, and in Saga, an ex on the forehead. This would contribute to their bad reputation within the country, becoming something worth ‘hiding’ rather than ‘showing off in public.
As time progressed, more association with the yakuza would be made, as gang members would get tattooed to cover up such criminal marks. Such ‘Irezumi’ or tattoos in gang members are of great scale hence the pain that needs to be endured during the procedure is unimaginable, often taking numerous trips to the artist or ‘Horishi’ for the piece to become complete; one of the reasons why tattoos or ‘irezumi’ would be a sign of proof as to how committed the member was towards their clan.
One tattoo artist, heavily influenced by Yakuza ‘irezumi’ who made a name for himself as the god of Japanese tattooing is Yoshihito Nakano, more commonly known as Horiyoshi III. After coming across a Yakuza member covered in a full-body irezumi suit in a bathhouse, young Horiyoshi III formulated a fascination towards tattooing like no other. His fascination soon turned into an obsession and at just 25 years old, he earned an apprenticeship with Horiyoshi I, a legendary precedent in the art of Japanese tattooing. This opportunity would allow Horiyoshi III to practice and later receive the honorific title of ‘master’ from his superior. Now, owning a tattoo studio and museum in Yokohama, Horiyoshi III is world-famous for his traditional Japanese designs. However, it was only when he encountered Don Ed Hardy from the United States in the 80s during a tattoo convention in Rome that he would adopt the technique of tattooing with an electric machine. Whilst Horiyoshi III established a following for his western techniques in Japan, Don Ed Hardy would go on to spread the word about Japanese tattooing to the west.
Mr. Don Ed Hardy and Horiyoshi III side by side
“The creatures I draw only come alive on somebody’s skin. This is why I never show my designs as so-called art. I draw simply for fun and to have samples to show my clients so they can pick a new design. The creatures depicted take the person’s breath away once they are on his or her skin — and then the two start breathing together, in unison. Human history alters the look of the animals and plants I paint, and when the person wearing them dies, so too do they.”
Taken from The Japan Times Online
As time went on, the electric machine caught fire in the country, allowing apprentices to hone their skills and open up their own tattoo parlors across the nation. One individual, whose fascination stems from the same source as Horiyoshi III yet holds a completely different backstory is TAPPEI.
Born in Osaka and currently based in Tokyo near Nakameguro, TAPPEI is a self-taught tattoo artist known for his unique illustration style. However, his love for tattooing comes from watching old yakuza films with his family when he was a child. After majoring in illustration at Kobe Design University for a couple of years, he decided to quit school to pursue his dreams of making it as an independent tattoo artist. To establish himself in an even bigger city he decided to shift his base to Tokyo. It was when working at CANNABIS, a select shop in Harajuku, he found what he was looking for as the owner of the shop permitted him to operate as a tattoo artist after open hours, allowing TAPPEI to practice the art.
If you thought the process of becoming a master from an apprentice was hard, imagine what it is like to make it all on your own. He talks to the sabukaru team, about his past, his pleasures, and his plans for the future.
HI TAPPEI, THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO TALK AND TATTOO ME TODAY. WHEN I HEARD THAT MOST OF THE TATTOOS ON YOUR BODY WERE DONE BY YOURSELF, I WAS BLOWN AWAY. DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVORITES?
Of course, no problem. I started tattooing myself as practice so most of them hold some sort of memory but the one on my forearm has a special place in my heart. It says KIDS and was designed by Larry Clark. When I had the opportunity to tattoo him during his trip to Japan, I asked him to design something for me as well. He scribbled the word ‘KIDS’ on my arm, referencing the film he shot that I also love so that was pretty amazing.
CAN YOU TELL US HOW THE OPPORTUNITY TO TATTOO LARRY CLARK CAME ABOUT?
It was 4 or 5 years ago when Larry Clark came to Japan to exhibit some of his photography. He told one of my senpai’s who was in close contact with him that he wanted to get a tattoo in Japan. My senpai showed him works from multiple different tattoo artists that had way more experience than me at the time but included me in the range and Larry Clark ended up choosing me to do his tattoo for him. Maybe it was because he liked my illustration style or because I was young but I got to tattoo his daughter’s name onto him so it was a very special moment.
Tappei with KIDS tattooed by Larry Clark on his arm
Tappei tattooing Larry Clark
SPEAKING OF FILMS AND THE UNDERGROUND SCENE, WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION FROM FOR YOUR DESIGNS?
I don’t get inspiration from one source but I do really like those quite battered tattoos that skaters usually have done on their bodies. So I started tattooing doodle-like illustrations, almost like graffiti but on the skin. I also liked drawing from a young age as well so after a while I started tattooing designs that at first glance look straightforward and quirky but had a deeper meaning attached to them when you got a closer look. I guess now my designs are also inspired by sci-fi topics and space themes too.
YOU WENT TO ART SCHOOL BEFORE PURSUING A CAREER IN TATTOOING BUT WAS THERE A REASON BEHIND THE SHIFT?
I wouldn’t necessarily call it a shift as I wanted to become a tattoo artist from when I was in elementary school. My father would take me to the cinema to watch R-rated yakuza films with him, which looking back should’ve been illegal (laughs). The films exposed me to those tattoo suits on their bodies and I became obsessed. I was drawing from a young age all of the time, but the fact that these drawings were engraved in their skin forever, just left me in awe. So in the back of my mind, I knew I would become a tattoo artist in the end but I enrolled in art school because I thought honing my illustration skills would benefit me in the future.
YOUR FASCINATION WITH TATTOOING COMES FROM TRADITIONAL WABORI YET YOUR TATTOOS ARE OF MORE MODERN ILLUSTRATIONS. HOW WERE YOU ABLE TO ESTABLISH THAT STYLE YOU ARE FAMOUS FOR NOW?
I always drew illustrations that were of a similar style before I started tattooing. So in a sense, there was already a foundation established there. The thing was, at the time there was nobody around me who wanted to get tattooed. Obviously, I get that, I mean tattoos were less common than they are now and who wants to get tattooed by some random young dude who draws for a hobby but that’s when I realized I needed to shift my base to Tokyo and started working at CANNABIS. The manager of this store was very nice and allowed me to tattoo after hours so this was a huge opportunity to get more recognition for my work. So my style has always been the same, but moving to Tokyo allowed me to gain more momentum.
WHO DO YOU THINK WITHIN AND OUTSIDE OF THE TATTOO INDUSTRY HAS INFLUENCED YOU THE MOST?
Ue-san from the parlor has definitely been a huge influence. His shop is very close to mine in Nakameguro and his work is more American traditional but I came across his tattoo designs on Instagram when I was a teenager and they just looked so real, like a bumper sticker. He often contributes to Black Eye Patch so super cool guy as well but has the most humble character which I respect. Outside of the tattoo industry, I like the horror manga artist Hino Hideshi. His mangas are grotesque but quite ‘pop’ as well and I think my art holds similar elements to what he creates. He has also written children's books and is an associate professor at Osaka Art University. So I look up to the trajectory he holds as an artist too.
YOU ARE A SELF-TAUGHT TATTOO ARTIST. COMPARED TO BEING AN APPRENTICE TO SOMEONE, I RECKON YOU HAD MORE FREEDOM BUT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THIS PATH TO PEOPLE JUST STARTING OUT?
Yes, I am a self-taught artist but would I recommend it to anyone? To be honest, I don’t know. Obviously, there was a lot more freedom however, I think you can improve your craft way faster by getting an apprenticeship somewhere. I only decided to teach myself because there was no other artist that was tattooing in the style that I wanted to go into and it was harder to find artists skilled in fine line work rather than the traditional style. In the end, I do think it was a good decision but if I didn’t have that opportunity to practice at CANNABIS and meet the right people at the right time, we would’ve been talking about a whole different story. So there are both pros and cons to trying to make it as a self-taught artist and the path you should take depends also on what kind of person you are.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE ULTIMATE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GOOD ILLUSTRATOR WHO TATTOOS AND A PERSON WHO CALLS THEMSELVES A TATTOO ARTIST? WHERE DO YOU DRAW THE LINE?
I personally wouldn’t put myself in the category of the best tattoo artists but I do think it depends on the number of tattoos the artist has done. Obviously, some people are good from the start but what’s different from drawing on a normal canvas is that we are drawing on people’s living and breathing skin of all sorts of textures. So practicing on different types of skin textures is crucial to get better as an artist. Maybe it is also harder to improve your skill as an artist if you are just tattooing something the client had picked out from the internet or a reference photo because then you won’t be able to practice your creative drawing skills as well but in the end everyone is different.
NOW ARTISTS IN THE COUNTRY ARE ALLOWED TO TATTOO WITHOUT A MEDICAL LICENSE DUE TO A SUPREME COURT RULING THAT LIFTED THE BAN. HOW DID THIS IMPACT THE TATTOO COMMUNITY?
For the people who were tattooing with a medical license already, it didn’t make a difference however I think a lot of people started to believe that tattooing was something that could be easily done very casually which is a mindset you shouldn’t have when starting out. I think there should be a license in place for clients to distinguish which tattoo artists have actually gotten certified for their craft, not to the extent of a medical one but just so that people know who is legit and who isn’t. We currently have the Japan Tattoo Association, an organization that was established during the trial that is working out a solution for this. On the other hand, people who really do have a passion for tattooing as a way of self-expression but may not have the necessary means and solid foundation to start out can now get their foot in the industry which is a big plus for them. I am also a self-taught artist so I understand the struggles that one faces when trying to make it. In that sense, it was a step in the right direction.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON HOW TATTOOS ARE PERCEIVED NOWADAYS IN JAPAN? DO YOU FEEL LIKE ANYTHING IS CHANGING WITHIN THE SCENE OR OUTSIDE OF IT?
I do validate the opinions of the older generation who feel threatened by the sight of them. Their opinions will likely remain unchanged so there is little we can do about that. However as more and more young people are getting tattooed, when the generation who are getting tattooed now become older I believe we will see acceptance towards the art spreading even further, and hopefully, some of the rules will be alleviated. This is also because it takes time for rules to change in this country and the more we force change onto the system, I think the more they will oppress us. We need to be patient. Slow and steady wins the race.
NAKAMEGURO IS ALSO A PRETTY HIP PLACE SO I ASSUME YOU HAVE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND HERE?
I don’t have many as I don’t go out much around here (laughs). The sushi at Iroha Zushi is super cheap and very good though. Nice place to go after work.
TAPPEI ROOM
2F,1-17-6,Kamimeguro,Meguro-ku TOKYO
About The Author:
OL [Office Lady] in the day, sabukaru member by night, Ayana is a Japanese writer tackling controversial and oftentimes misunderstood social topics in the realms of modern-day Nippon.
Photography by Mayu Uchida
