AverageJer

Awesome. I'm going to be there in a few weeks and am hoping to stop by and see if I can get a walk in. I don't have much time, and the friends I'm going with aren't really into tattoos, but I'm going to try if I can. Maybe I'll have a submission later in the month.

If you want to get a tattoo for the sake of getting a first tattoo without spending a ton of money I suggest getting something small that is still good quality. Also, if you are into tattoos don't get something small in a space that will someday be perfect for a bigger, better tattoo. What I mean by this is I recommend against getting a small tattoo on your shoulder because someday you might be in a better position to save up for something awesome on your shoulder. Am I making any sense? Pick a local shop or artist that you like and go talk to them. Tell them your budget and get some ideas. And have fun! Don't forget to enjoy the whole process.

Awesome thread. It's cool to see all the well done leg tattoos. It also reminds me that I have a lot more space on mine. Here is a shitty iphone pic I just took. I also have a stickishly drawn family portrait on the outside of my ankle with male/female guardian lions on the front and back of the ankle. Additionally I have several tattoos high up on my hip but I will spare you all from that. Yikes! Time to get planning the next leg tattoo I guess. [/img]

Breathing is so important. Getting tattoos has made me better at going to the dentist. Same skill set. Sit still and breathe.

Thanks for posting (and for the link to the previous conversation). This is an interesting topic to me. I think many images we enjoy today are ultimately appropriated from somewhere. There are always going to be lines and we all will have to draw our own. Very few here, I would imagine, would get a tattoo of a white person in "blackface." For me American Indian imagery tattoos has some parallels to the ongoing team mascot issue. I'm not a big internet arguer so I'm not wanting to get into all that here other than to say it bothers me personally and therefore getting an American Indian image tattoo crosses my personal line. That's not to say that another thoughtful person couldn't come to a different conclusion on this but I do appreciate this kind of discussion as a means to encourage thought and dialogue. I'm more conflicted about religious imagery for tattoos. For example I am attracted to the idea of getting some kind of Buddha tattoo someday. I like the images and, as a recovering Catholic, I am drawn to many of the ideals of the religion. Are these good or bad reasons to get a tattoo? How about a Hindu image of which there are many that make amazingly awesome tattoos but I know basically nothing about the religion itself. If I read a book or two would that be enough? Am I overthinking this? Probably, I overthink most things. Anyway, thanks for the interesting conversation. Now it's time to get back to my secular Easter celebration focusing on bunnies, eggs, chocolate and brunchy food.

Yep, my wife, who has plenty of tattoos, just got her ears pierced for the first time. We went to our usual shop and made an appointment with the piercer, who we had seen around but didn't really know. He knew his craft and went about it in a very professional and serious way. All and all it was a great experience. Also, how many 30 something women can say they have gotten more than 10 tattoos before even getting their ears pierced. It's just one of many ways that my wife is unique I suppose.

why are you shouting?

Interesting thread and in many ways frustrating. This quote from your mom made me smile for some reason. Enjoy your new tattoo, I'm jealous.

Thanks. The friends I am going with aren't into tattoos. At least not like I am. One of them has a few but isn't really into them, the other has none. More and more I am thinking I want to try and make this work. My wife, who is being super cool just to let me go on this trip at all, is encouraging me to go for it. She's the one that got me into tattoos in the first place and I really want one the more I think about it. I guess time will tell.

Yeah- I have read this- at least in some of them. Not sure if they are in the plans anyway. Maybe.

Cool- good to know.

Awesome. Thanks. Three Tides and was already on my radar so I guess it is well worth checking out. Maybe as the trip gets closer I will have a better idea of my timing and will email them. Good advice on the shorts. I would probably wear pants to go to a temple regardless of tattoos and I'm not thinking high end restaurants will be in the plans - especially if I kick down for a tattoo.

Hi folks, I have been a mostly lurker/occasional poster since August but this is my first created post so I will be brief. This summer I am going on a short (about 10 day) trip to Korea and Japan with a couple of friends and I would like to try and get a tattoo in Japan. The specifics are not yet worked out but my guess is we will end up splitting time between Seoul, Tokyo and Osaka. Clearly this will not give us very much time in any of these cities. Also, due to the nature of the trip and the people I am going with, I will not be in a position to make any kind of appointment. I realize that this will greatly limit my options and I may take some hit in terms of quality. Really this is ok with me. My goals for any tattoo I get on this trip will be to have fun, get something small that I like and that is not actively bad, feel good about the safety/hygiene of the shop. I would like to get something in a Japanese style. Anyway, any ideas or suggestions for either Tokyo or Osaka would be appreciated. Also, as long as I am already posting- I am wondering if people have any advice for Japan or Korea in terms if wearing shorts with visible leg tattoos. My tattoos are benign in subject matter but they are noticeable. Is it best to just avoid shorts altogether or just when going to temples and the like? I have actually been to Japan and Korea before for similarly short trips but it was pre tattoos and I honestly don't remember if I wore shorts at all. I searched the forum archives but all I really found was this long since dead thread http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/general-tattoo-discussion/532-japanese-tattoo-politics.html which, while cool, didn't really address my question. If there are past conversations on this I missed I would appreciate being pointed in the right direction. Thanks, AverageJer

Wait, I can rent my body space out? And here I have been paying for my tattoos like a sucker.

Yeah- I got you. That does sound annoying.

I see where you are coming from and I definitely will have the first and last opinion about what tattoo I am going to ask an artist for, but I'm not going to apologize for bringing my wife, who is an artist and with whom I talk about tattoos quite a bit, into conversations about color choice and placement. I don't think this is quite what you are talking about but I figured I would bring it up anyway.

No, but it's on my travel wish list. Seems like an interesting place to go.

My right shoulder is kind of a themed black and gray and I'm pretty sure if I ever get anything on the other shoulder it will be color. I have colored tattoos on my legs. At one point I thought maybe I would stick with black and gray above the waist and color below (which is currently the case) but I think I will just see where this takes me and decide when I need to. But, like I said, if I ever decide to do something on the opposite shoulder it will most likely be in color and very different than the one I have tattooed now.

From Jessi Lawson at Leviticus Tattoo in Minneapolis.

Good for you for taking charge of your health. I have also gotten myself into better shape over the last few years and have found that this makes getting tattoos all the more fun. I have a tattoo I really like on my shoulder and I enjoy wearing clothing that shows it off (in the summer, it's below zero temperatures today). Three years ago I would never have worn sleeveless shirts. I feel like there is some kind of mutual incentive with all of this- I want to be fit so I can enjoy my tattoos and I like to get tattoos as an inspiration to remain fit. Get something you like and that you'd like others to see. You will know what it means to you and no one else will probably even care. I saw a wonderful quote recently that said something like "you will worry less about what other people think about you once you realize how infrequently they do so."

Awesome. Just be sure to have fun in Hong Kong outside of tattoo getting. HK is amazing. The jockey Club is fun, the outer islands, Macau. So great. Sounds like a great tattoo experience as well. Good for you.

Plenty of great tattoos this month. I hold no illusions that mine here will win but I figure I'll share it anyway. I like it. The shark and a few water marks were done yesterday, the shipwreck is about two months old, the sea monster, compass star and an off screen squid, are all about six months old, and the map outline is about two years old. All of these were done by Kyle at Leviticus Tattoo in Minneapolis.

I'll take one. Also- my wife's mom, upon hearing we planned to get some new tattoos, commented that she would regret it when she was 80. Hell, if I make it to 80 I will be pretty damn happy. People need some new material.

This would not work with my kindergarten daughter who knows all about our tattoos. In fact she loves to go to the shop we like because every time we go in she gets to feed the koi fish and they give her a press on tattoo. We have had multiple conversations about how our tattoos are with needles under our skin, hurt, and are forever. She said she wants to wait until she is 50 but I guess we will see.

I have been thinking about this a lot recently. I just started getting tattoos a few years ago and have about 10. I do not really plan on getting any that are not easily covered for work and I'm not sure about back tattoos (I have one and seldom remember to enjoy it). This means I do have some space limitations. I also am hoping to save some space for something really great someday. I guess I will see what happens. Being a member of this forum and following tattoo blogs on tumblr does not help me not get tattos. That's for damn sure. I do know that once I decide on something for sure (I have one such plan) it is almost impossible to wait very long.