over the summer i decided to bite the bullet and get a tattoo.  and as the saying goes, “go big or go home.”

so i went (fairly) big and got a half sleeve.

the idea was koi with sakura and waves.

i guess the itch for some ink goes back to early 2008, when i was deciding to leave japan and move back to california.  i felt like i needed something to mark my time there.  but in hindsight, there are millions of things i do in my daily life that reflect my experience of living in tokyo.

anyways, it wasn’t just like i could head out to the corner store and pick something up.  as i started to research artists, designs, and especially the culture around irezumi, i realized that i needed to put a lot of time into making sure i wouldn’t regret my decision.  once i came up with the koi theme, i sat on the idea for about a year once i realized that it was not just something i felt at the moment, but rather something that stuck with me.

by the time i had my design finalized, i was already living in southern california.  fortunately, los angeles has a thriving tattoo culture, and even some amazing japanese artists.  after much research (and wait lists), i was able to have my work done by jakoh at onizuka tattoo in little tokyo.

when people ask what it represents, i can easily give the canned orientalistish answer, if not something a tad more personal.  for example, a koi represents struggle  — a fish swimming upstream, and if successful it will turn into a dragon.  i don’t think there’s a better metaphor for grad school than this idea of struggle (and thinking of how much easier it would be to just turn around and go downstream).  the cherry blossoms represent my favorite memory of japanese life.  the waves remind me of my long-ago life living on the beach in capitola, and the ocean that separates my land from my motherland.

while i can’t deny that the above representations also influence the personal meaning of this tattoo, there is also so much more that it stands for.  in japan, tattoos (especially this sleeve style) is stigmatized as a sign of yakuza, and people with tattoos are often banned from public bath houses and hot springs.  but i know plenty of people with tattoos, and none of them are yakuza.  in my opinion, stereotypes like these are still a disappointing sign of the past, and i hope that i can do my tiny part to help change such misconceptions.  shoot, there are still plenty of places in japan that won’t even allow non-japanese clientele, so we gotta start somewhere.

looking in the mirror, i’m happy to see such an intricate piece of artwork that i can wear with me forever.  i’m happy to see a reminder of my personal connection to asakusa (my mother’s hometown, not to mention a thriving yakuza center…).  i’m happy to see that i overcame my fear of needles.  i’m happy to have found something that i was confident i wouldn’t be bored with quickly.  and i’m happy that even six months after its completion, i don’t regret this decision one bit (although i do regret not discussing this ahead of time with my mom :-/ ).

i know the first thing you’re gonna ask, but i’ll just spin you around right here: it took several hours over many sessions and cost a lot.  and yes, it hurt like hell.

and in terms of your next question: i’m not sure what’s next, or if there will even be something next.  right sleeve?  back piece?  a tyson-esque face ornament?  all i can say for now is that those decisions will be made in due time.

if you’re curious about getting your first tattoo, my only recommendations are to take plenty of time once you come up with a design (so you don’t choose something you will regret), and also to make sure to find an artist that can make your dream into a reality.  other than that, by all means take the plunge.  i mean think about it, how exciting is it to do something that will change your life forever?

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