Irezumi is the traditional form of Japanese tattooing—an art form shaped by centuries of history, symbolism, and refined composition. Unlike trend-driven tattoos, Irezumi follows a structured visual language. Every element—whether it’s a dragon, koi, peony, or maple leaf—is carefully chosen and placed to create balance, movement, and cohesion across the body. Rather than standalone designs, Irezumi is approached as a complete work. The result is a tattoo that feels timeless, intentional, and built to last. As a Japanese tattoo artist based in Auckland, New Zealand, my work is grounded in these traditional principles while ensuring each piece feels clean, bold, and suited to the individual.

Irezumi is not just about the subject—it’s about how everything works together. In Japanese tattooing, the relationship between the main imagery, background elements, and placement on the body is carefully considered. The design is built to move with your anatomy, creating a sense of connection rather than appearing flat or separate. This is what gives Irezumi its strength—it’s designed to be experienced as a whole, not just as individual elements.

You don’t need to have everything figured out before getting started. Some clients come in with a clear idea, while others only have a general direction—both are completely fine. It might be as simple as being drawn to a subject like a dragon or koi, or just knowing you’d like to start a sleeve or larger piece. Traditional Japanese motifs carry layered meaning, but the final design is always shaped through collaboration. My role is to guide that process—refining your ideas into something that feels balanced, cohesive, and true to Japanese tattooing.

Placement is fundamental in Japanese tattooing however, it is ultimately a personal preference and there’s no single “correct” place to begin. Traditionally, large-scale work would often start with the back, as it offers the largest canvas and allows the composition to be built outwards across the body. However, it’s far more common today for people to begin with the arms or legs—such as a sleeve or leg piece—and expand from there over time. the starting point is flexible.

Japanese tattooing naturally lends itself to larger-scale work. One of the defining features of Irezumi is the use of mikiri—the traditional background that surrounds and supports the main subject. This is unique to Japanese tattooing and plays a key role in bringing the entire piece together. Having more space allows both the main imagery and the mikiri to develop properly—creating contrast, structure, and a sense of presence that smaller tattoos can’t achieve in the same way. While smaller tattoos are absolutely possible, larger pieces allow the work to feel more complete and tend to age more gracefully over time, which is why they’re often preferred in Irezumi.

Irezumi is a long-term commitment, approached with intention and patience. Irezumi is created over multiple sessions, allowing each stage—outline, shading, and colour—to be built properly. This approach creates depth, clarity, and a finished result that will age well over time. Rather than thinking of it as one long process, it’s often more enjoyable to see it as a series of stages. Each session brings visible progress, and many clients find it rewarding to watch the piece gradually come together. There’s always something new to look forward to—whether it’s seeing the design take shape, new areas completed, or the overall composition starting to flow across the body. The focus is not on speed, but on creating something that will last.

When designed and applied correctly, Irezumi ages exceptionally well. Strong composition, clear structure, and bold application are what allow these tattoos to hold their readability over time. This is why traditional principles remain so important—they are proven to last.

Not at all. You don’t need a finished concept—just a general direction. This could be a subject (dragon, koi, snake), a feeling, or even just knowing you want a sleeve or larger piece. From there, I guide the design process to create something cohesive and considered.

• Koi -paired with water, Sakura (Cherry Blossom) or Momiji (red maple leaves)

• Theater Masks (Hyottoko, oni, hannya, noh, tengu)  

• 7 Gods (Ebisu, Daikokuten, Benzaithen, Bishamonten, Jurojin, Fukurokuju, Hotei) 

• Dragon (Ryu) - can be paired with water or cloud and with Kiku (Chrysanthemum)

• Tiger (paired with Bamboo or Sakura)

• Fu Dog also known at Karashishi or Shishi (paired with Botan/Peony)-Often paired with rocks.

• Kirin (japanese unicorn)

• Kingyo (goldfish)

• Samurai (Tomoe Gozen, Miyamoto Musashi and so on) most great tattoos of Samurai and warriors are from specific stories, real life characters, or tales. They often carry their own meaning and stories.

• FuduMyoo - often only used on the back as this is a very detailed subject matter

• Phoenix (Hou-ou)

• Birds such as cranes or suzume (sparrows)

• Snake (Hebi) - paired with most flowers

• Kin taro & momotaro (japanese folklore heros) 

• Baku (dream eating elephant)

• Yokai Creatures and Ghosts

Gakubori compliments the main theme by expressing the world around it. This is achieved by adding background such as clouds, waves and flowers. It has the same effect of making the main theme stand out in the same way as framing a painting. Gakubori has specific shapes, elements and formula which is dependant on its main subject matter.

With Gakubori, one must consider the environment and season appropriate to the subject matter. Many subject matters have specific flower pairings (see ‘subject matter’ section for popular subject matters and pairings).

Gukubori is always black and grey. This is because it helps the bold colours of the background stand out. The black and grey background works as a foundation that holds the tattoo together, forever, If a client chooses to get a piece that is entirely black and grey, a strong contrast between the background and foreground is needed. This can be done using negative skin space or large sections of dark grey/black with skin space.

Nukibori - main subject matter on back with no background

Kamenokogakubori (turtle shell) - subject and background occupy only the back, including the whole buttocks, leaving the rest of the body blank

Sousinbori - Full body tattoo. Filling the entire boy with the exception of the hands, feet, head, neck and genital area.

Arm Sleeve - Gaku from the arm must be from the chest stopping just below the elbow (1/2 Go-bu), Below the elbow (3/4 Shichi-bu, Hati-Bu) or all the way to the first (full Nagasode)

Kantobori - sleeves with chest plate, used around Tokyo covered only partially the chest leaving the lower pectoral and nipple blank.

Kansabori - sleeves with chest plate used around Osaka, covered completely the pectoral, nipple included.

The most common design for the arm tattoo reaches the half forearm (often called 3/4 sleeve). This was common as tattoos can be hidden even wearing a kimono with wide sleeves) It is important to bear in mind that traditionally, not flaunting ones tattoos is fundamental; they are only displayed only on extremely rare occasions.

Munewari - this features a gap of untattooed skin roughly one firsts width positioned vertically in the middle.

Donburi - fills the whole area of the front.

Leg Sleeve - The leg from in case of Munewari can be straight down on the thigh and drawn in an arc to connect with the bottom of Sewari, or it can be tattooed up to just above the knee (Han-zubon) or tattooed under the knee (Hati-bu) or tattooed just above the ankle (Naga-Zudon).

Irezumi requires a different approach from general tattooing. A strong understanding of mikiri (the traditional background), subject matter meanings, and how elements are paired together is essential in Japanese tattooing. Working with a specialist ensures your tattoo is not only visually strong, but also grounded in the principles that give Irezumi its depth and longevity.

If you’re considering a Japanese tattoo or Irezumi in Auckland, New Zealand, the first step is starting the conversation. I work with a limited number of projects at a time to ensure each piece receives the attention it deserves. You don’t need to have everything figured out—just a starting point. When you’re ready, send through an enquiry with:

• Your idea or subject matter

• Placement (if known)

• Approximate size

• Any reference images (if you have them)

From there, I can book you in for a free consultation—either over the phone or in person—so we can talk through your ideas and start bringing your piece to life.

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