Getting A Tattoo in Japan (Koriyama), Part 3

By Keith Morrell Saturday August 27, 2011

こんにちは。私の名前はKeithです:) I'm 25, a graphic and web designer from Huddersfield between Manchester and Leeds. Love design, photography, Japanese culture and much more. I have travelled to Japan twice and I currently live in Huddersfield, England. I use this blog to try show the World what I like about Japan, Design & Photography.

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On my 2nd visit to Japan, I wanted to get a new tattoo to remember my 2nd visit.

I visited my tattooist in Japan, Hori-Hiro of Koriyama and he started my Dragon tattoo.

On the morning I visited Shibuya and had cheesecake and a hot chocolate at Excelsiors Cafe to try get some sugar in my system.

I then caught the Nagano Shinkansen to Koriyama, although this was the wrong train. I asked an elderly business man where my seat was and he directed me to the conductor. I was lucky enough to have my JR PASS on me, so all I had to do was show him my pass and he gave me a new a ticket. The elderly gentleman walked me to my seat, before he headed back to his.

On the journey to Koriyama to get more sugar in my blood I had this below.

I had this Orange Kit Kat above and a weirdly shaped “can” of Coke.

The view from the Shinkansen:

I arrived in Koriyama:

As mentioned in my earlier post about Koriyama, Koriyama was pretty cold and I caught a taxi to Hiro’s studio.

The view of Hiro’s studio.

I walked into the studiowhich I had previously been tattooed only 9 months prior and was welcome by the Hiro, Shizuka, Yas (His apprentice at the time) and the smell of incense.

Hiro sat me down and went through what I wanted doing in the time, and we decided on this dragon.

Before getting tattooed, Hiro gave me a this “Happy” can of coke which helped to build up my sugar level:

During getting tattooed we stopped for a few breaks and had some Meiji chocolate and I also had Christmas Cake with Hiro’s family + Yas.

Christmas Cake:

At the end of being tattooed due to the time limits, some of my tattoo was done using Tebori (手彫り).

I was surprised how Tebori felt compared to a machine, I hope I will get more of my tattoos done using Tebori one day as it feels so different, and actually pretty relaxing as I was almost fell asleep by the end of the session.

After the 6/7 hour session, Hiro gave me the tattoo sketch and the sterilised needle he used.

Me & Hiro:

At the time, my freshly done tattoo:

The tattoo turned out well, as I expected. Sadly though, I had to leave and make my way back to Tokyo. Hiro kindly gave me a lift back to JR Koriyama Station where I caught the Shinkansen back to Tokyo.

On the train I had this sweet my girlfriend bought me, which tasted like rocky road.

To look after my tattoo I asked Hiro what I could use and he suggested クロマイ (Ku-ro-ma-i) a cream which I was able to buy in a small pharmacy in Ikebukuro, Tokyo.

The cream smelt of coffee and really works to sooth the iching whilst your tattoo tries to heel itself. You can find more information about it here (In Japanese), but if you need to buy the cream I suggest visiting a Matsumoto Kiyoshi (マツモトキヨシ) store which look like this.