Where the concierge points people first
- Ryugendo Tebori Tattooing — A Minato studio working in tebori, the traditional Japanese method of hand-carving the ink with a rod of needles rather than a machine. Slower, and large pieces run over many sessions; this is appointment work, not a walk-in. (35.6630, 139.7365)
- Inscribe Tattoo Harajuku — One of two Inscribe studios on this list, the other in Ueno. The studio publishes in English as well as Japanese, which makes it a straightforward first enquiry for a visitor. (35.6694, 139.7085)
- Kagerou Asakusa Flagship Studio — The Asakusa base of Kagerou, which also appears here with an Ikebukuro studio. Asakusa suits it: the neighbourhood where the old Edo imagery of koi and dragons still feels at home. (35.7110, 139.7950)
- EXTREME BODY PIERCING Harajuku — For piercing rather than ink, on the Harajuku side of Shibuya. Ask what jewellery material they use for a fresh piercing before you choose. (35.6704, 139.7053)
The rest of the tattoo studios in Tokyo — every one we hold
- Apocaript (35.7010, 139.7035)
- B_iNK studio.スカルプインク/ネイル/コスメティックタトゥー/新宿/美容タトゥー (35.6876, 139.6973)
- Bad Hands Tokyo (35.6708, 139.6904)
- Black Eyes Tattoo (35.6491, 139.6819)
- Blade Ink (35.6544, 139.7056)
- Boilin' Point (35.7128, 139.7023)
- Bright Beauty (35.7105, 139.7778)
- Choosy'chooseyHAIR本店/c'cDEUX2号店 (35.7063, 139.7181)
- Fineline Tattoo and Piercing Tokyo (35.7108, 139.7732)
- Gate Bridge (35.6621, 139.7059)
- Graphic Tribe Tattoos (35.6455, 139.7147)
- Gray Tattoo (35.6968, 139.7572)
- Gray Tattoo (35.6586, 139.6963)
- H&M's Tattoo Ueno Studio (35.7092, 139.7758)
- High Five Tattoo (35.6703, 139.7057)
- High FiveTattoo (35.6666, 139.7112)
- INK harbor yokosuka (35.6826, 139.7771)
- Inkillusion TATTOO (35.6626, 139.7011)
- Inscribe Tattoo Ueno (35.7095, 139.7758)
- Joytown tattoo studio (35.6755, 139.7090)
- Jugemu Tattoo (35.6431, 139.6710)
- Kirie Bijou (35.7052, 139.7757)
- La perra negra Tattoo Tokyo (35.6676, 139.7075)
- MEDI STORE ラフォーレ原宿店 (35.6690, 139.7054)
- Mucho (35.7093, 139.7741)
- paradox angelique marmalade (35.6625, 139.6976)
- PopInk Tokyo (35.6892, 139.7227)
- Rainfall Tattoo (35.6489, 139.6945)
- RIN-KG Tattoo Studio (35.6525, 139.7040)
- Seek Tattoo (35.7114, 139.7946)
- Smog House Tattoo (35.7106, 139.7788)
- SOIL INK Tattoo (35.6906, 139.7102)
- SPIN tattoo studio (35.6347, 139.7124)
- Studio Ink (35.6683, 139.7642)
- studio MSR (35.6723, 139.6874)
- studio muscat (35.6542, 139.7029)
- Sunsqlit Tattoo (35.6631, 139.7012)
- Sunsqlit Tattoo 原宿 (35.6649, 139.7024)
- Swallow Art Tattoo Tokyo (35.7052, 139.7747)
- T.F.T.D. Tattoo Shop (35.7057, 139.6729)
- Tattoo House TieZ (35.7103, 139.7980)
- Tattoo Parlor Holie Glory (35.6675, 139.7062)
- Tattoo Studio BIG SEVEN 彫七 Hori-Shichi (35.6855, 139.7300)
- Tattoo Studio KAGEROU Ikebukuro (35.7258, 139.7197)
- Tattoo Studio Ray's Tokyo (35.6771, 139.7078)
- Tattoo Studio SEEK (35.6948, 139.7032)
- Tattooshop fuga (35.6934, 139.7071)
- THE GOOD CAT SCRATCH | Fine Line Tattoos Tokyo (35.6415, 139.6951)
- The Ink Salon Tokyo (35.6709, 139.6904)
- Third Home Tattoo (35.6418, 139.6954)
- Tifana Tattoo (35.6536, 139.7035)
- Tokyo Shinjuku FOX GATE TATTOO (35.6861, 139.6971)
- Tokyo Three Tides (35.6709, 139.7077)
- Trip On Design Tattoo Studio (35.6491, 139.6820)
- Worxx Tokyo Tattoo (35.6933, 139.7065)
- Zelkova Ink (35.6716, 139.7035)
- アートメイク Do’contour ﾄﾞｩｺﾝﾄｱ 東京院 (35.6456, 139.7065)
- アンティーク撮影スタジオunikk (35.6632, 139.7031)
- タトゥースタジオKagerou (35.6932, 139.7840)
- マジックタトゥー (35.6987, 139.6977)
- メディカルブロー新宿院 (35.6920, 139.7031)
- メディカルブロー表参道院 (35.6653, 139.7091)
- 三軒茶屋・駒沢・自由が丘の美容室impression(インプレッション) (35.6386, 139.6718)
- 初代彫ひと一門恵比寿彫こく EBISU Horikoku (35.6442, 139.7111)
- 刺龍堂 - Shi Ryu Doh - (35.6213, 139.6790)
- 和芳友 刺青−WAKATOMO TATTOO (Booking only) (35.6957, 139.6962)
- 銀座ASSU (35.6731, 139.7651)
No licence means the hygiene questions are yours to ask
In 2020 Japan's Supreme Court ruled that tattooing is not a medical act, which ended the threat of prosecuting tattooists without a medical licence. The flip side is that there is still no dedicated licence or inspection regime for studios, so hygiene is down to each one. Ask plainly: single-use needles opened in front of you, an autoclave for anything reused, gloves changed between tasks. Most established artists work by appointment with a deposit, and many ask for a design consultation first. Plan around aftercare too; many onsen, sentō and gyms refuse visible tattoos.
Ask NUM which tattoo studios in Tokyo take English-speaking clients
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