TOKYO / UENO / WITH INKLINIC

    About Tattoo Procedures

    Low-pain tattooing with numb cream applied at our partner clinic. Sensation varies by individual.

    Before your visit

    We'll discuss your design via LINE and prepare in advance.

    Numb cream is optional

    Medical numb cream is applied to the approximate area at our partner clinic.

    Final pricing

    After adjusting stencil size and placement, we confirm the final price.

    EU REACH-compliant inks available

    We stock inks whose makers declare compliance with the EU REACH tattoo-ink restriction and publish safety data sheets (Intenze GEN-Z, Dynamic Union Black). Just ask at your consultation.

    PROCESS

    01

    Consult & prepare

    Before your visit

    01

    Preparation

    We'll discuss your design via LINE and prepare in advance.

    02

    Numb cream application at partner clinic (optional)

    For those who want numb cream. Applied to the approximate area at our partner clinic, taking effect in about 50 minutes.

    03

    Consultation

    We'll hear your design preferences, size, and placement. Your wishes come first, with professional suggestions.

    04

    Design Creation

    Our artist creates your original custom design. Unlimited revisions OK.

    02

    Session day

    Confirm placement & price

    05

    Stencil Placement

    We adjust size and precise positioning. Final pricing is also confirmed at this stage.

    06

    Procedure

    We begin at the optimal timing in coordination with our partner clinic.

    03

    Finish & care

    After your session

    07

    Aftercare

    We treat the area afterwards and walk you through aftercare in detail. Aftercare supplies are available at our partner clinic, carrying a separate fee from visits on 1 September 2026.

    * Steps may differ for large freehand pieces

    ANESTHESIA

    Partner clinic

    Consultation & application

    At INKLY TATTOO, numb cream consultation and application are handled at our partner clinic, inklinic. Whether numb cream is used is determined by a doctor and administered under the management of qualified medical professionals.

    INKLY TATTOO

    Procedure & finish

    We begin at the optimal timing in coordination with our partner clinic.

    Eases pain-related anxiety
    Used under medical supervision
    Relax during procedure
    Improved final quality

    If you're worried about pain, our physician-supervised guide explains pain levels by body area and how to ease them. Sensation varies by individual.

    SCIENCE

    Why do tattoos last? Understanding the mechanism also tells you how to choose a design that ages well. (This covers regular ink — ephemeral tattoos use a different ink designed to fade.)

    The epidermis — the outermost layer of skin — renews itself over roughly 4–8 weeks. Ink placed there would simply shed away. Tattoos last because the needle carries ink down into the dermis beneath.

    During the session, the needle opens tiny channels and deposits ink; capillary action also draws ink down the channels into the dermis.

    Once in the dermis, the ink is treated as a foreign object. Immune cells called macrophages engulf the particles — but they're too large to break down or clear easily. Research in mice suggests that when an ink-laden cell dies, the pigment is released and recaptured in place by new cells — a relay. In human skin, cells such as fibroblasts are also known to retain pigment. Together, these properties are thought to keep the ink in the dermis for the long term.

    Ink caught in the epidermis, meanwhile, is gradually shed with skin turnover. That's why colors settle from their fresh look, taking on the quality of ink seen through a thin film of skin.

    IN SHORT

    • The epidermis renews — so ink goes into the dermis
    • Capillary action draws ink into the needle's channels
    • Held by immune and other cells, thought to be relayed across generations
    • Epidermal ink sheds, so colors settle over time

    STYLES

    Black & Gray tattoo example

    Black & Gray

    01

    Monochrome style with delicate gradations

    American Traditional tattoo example

    American Traditional

    02

    Classic American style with bold outlines and vibrant colors

    by Manato

    Japanese Traditional tattoo example

    Japanese Traditional

    03

    Traditional Japanese tattoo style

    Neo-Traditional tattoo example

    Neo-Traditional

    04

    Traditional styles reimagined with a modern twist

    by Manato

    Lettering tattoo example

    Lettering

    05

    Lettering styles from decorative script to clean typefaces

    Minimal tattoo example

    Minimal

    06

    Clean, refined minimal designs

    by Manato

    Tribal tattoo example

    Tribal

    07

    Geometric patterns and tribal motifs

    by Aimi

    Realism tattoo example

    Realism

    08

    Photo-realistic depictions

    Fine Line tattoo example

    Fine Line

    09

    Delicate designs drawn with ultra-thin lines

    Color tattoo example

    Color

    10

    Colorful designs with vibrant hues

    by Taiga

    Floral tattoo example

    Floral

    11

    Designs inspired by plants and flowers

    by Manato

    Anime tattoo example

    Anime

    12

    Illustration and anime-style designs

    by Manato

    DESIGN GUIDE

    A tattoo ages with you for decades. These are the design principles we want first-timers to know, grounded in how tattoos actually behave over time.

    01

    Ink spreads slightly over the years. Lines packed too tightly can blur together later. Our studio recommends gaps of at least twice the line width as a working guideline.

    02

    Fine-line work is delicate and beautiful, but very thin lines are expected to soften gradually. Discuss weight and density with your artist, thinking a decade ahead.

    03

    We do offer white tattoos, but white ink reads faintly under skin and tends to become hard to see with time. Choose it knowing that character.

    04

    How a color reads depends on its contrast with your skin tone. Hues close to skin tone tend to sink in; high-contrast palettes tend to stay legible longer.

    05

    Ink in the epidermis sheds with skin turnover, so vividness settles from day one, taking on a look as if seen through a thin film of skin. That's not decay — it's natural aging.

    06

    American Traditional and Japanese Traditional are built on bold outlines and solid fields because that grammar has survived decades on skin. If longevity matters, learn from the styles time has already tested.

    None of these are absolute rules — they're guidelines for a design that stays beautiful. In your consultation we'll weigh them against what you want and find the right shape together.

    PRICING

    Micro (1.5cm×1.5cm)
    ~¥10,000
    One Point (3cm×3cm)
    ~¥17,000
    Small (5cm×5cm)
    ~¥25,000
    Medium (8cm×8cm)
    ~¥40,000
    Large (12cm×12cm)
    ~¥60,000
    X-Large (15cm+)(Contact us)
    ¥100,000〜

    * Includes topical numb cream and custom design. Aftercare supplies carry a separate fee from visits on 1 September 2026 (no additional charge for visits up to 31 August 2026). Prices vary by design complexity.