The language of irezumi
Japanese tattooing has its own grammar. A main subject sits at the centre of the area, and a background of wind bars, clouds, waves or smoke fills the rest so the piece reads as one picture the size of a body.
In our archive: a hannya demon covering a full back in black and grey, a red dragon running from chest to wrist, a kabuki warrior leg sleeve in full colour, a foo dog in swirling clouds and a Buddha back piece in progress.
Motifs and what they carry
- Hannya (mặt nạ Hannya): the jealous-demon mask of Noh theatre. A guard as much as a warning.
- Dragon (rồng): strength, wisdom and rising through difficulty.
- Foo dog (kỳ lân, shishi): a guardian lion, often tattooed in pairs or across the back.
- Koi and waves: perseverance against the current.
- Peony and chrysanthemum: a life lived fully; often the flowers around a main subject.
- Phoenix (phượng hoàng): rebirth after loss.
Sleeves and back pieces
Most oriental work is large. We plan the whole area first, then tattoo it in passes: outline, then the black background, then colour or grey shading. Expect a few weeks of healing between sittings.
| Area | Typical estimate |
|---|---|
| Half sleeve | 3 to 5 sittings |
| Full sleeve | 6 or more sittings |
| Leg sleeve | 6 or more sittings |
| Full back | 8 or more sittings |
These are typical ranges, not quotes. Detail, colour and how your skin takes ink change the count.
Colour or black and grey
Traditional irezumi uses bold, flat colour: vermilion, deep green, yellow and black. Black and grey oriental work, like our hannya back piece, trades colour for depth and smoke. Both age well when the black background is solid.
More on healing in our day-by-day aftercare guide.
