What are Japanese traditional tattoos?

Traditional Japanese tattoos that are done by hand are referred to as tebori, however tattoo technology has caught up and most designs are now done by artist’s using a machine.

Japanese traditional design feature rich patterns and heavy flat colored fill and bold outline designs often covering large areas of skin.

What is gradation in black and gray tattoos?

Gradation is often essential in Japanese black and gray tattoos or single color ink against variations in shading.

It’s the visual technique of gradually transitioning from one color hue to another, or from one shade to another and is employed to create shifts in space, distance, volume, and curved or rounded forms to make tattoos more complex.

How much does a color Japanese sleeve tattoo cost?

A full color Japanese Irezumi sleeve tattoo is at the top of the pricing spectrum. A Japanese sleeve will cost at least $1500 -2000 USD, even at a comparatively cheap average price of $150 per hour.

Experienced artists and Japanese tattooing specialists will charge more, while a sleeve from a Japanese tattoo artist master like Horiyoshi III could cost upwards of $10,000 USD for a colorful nagasode arm piece at a Tokyo or Osaka tattoo studio.