Japanese Tattoos in Vienna

Japanese tattooing has its own movement. A dragon, koi or peony is not placed on the skin like a sticker. The image has to follow the body, turn around an arm and still read as a whole from across the room.

That understanding takes time. I began tattooing in 1996 at Diamond Club in San Francisco with Bill and Juni Salmon. Japanese tattooing has remained central to my work since I opened Door Number Four in Vienna in 2009.

We draw every Japanese tattoo for the person who will wear it, from smaller individual pieces to full sleeves and backpieces.

Designed for the body

A Japanese tattoo is built through the relationship between its main subject and its background. Wind, water, clouds, rocks and flowers guide the eye through the tattoo and join the different parts of the body.

A sleeve has to work when the arm is still and when it moves. A backpiece should read clearly at a distance and reveal more detail up close.

Before drawing, we look at the shape of the body, the scale of the subject and how the tattoo might be extended later.

Large colour Japanese koi backpiece tattooed at Door Number Four in Vienna. Colour Japanese tengu sleeve with cherry blossoms and clouds.

Large Japanese tattoos

Sleeves, backpieces and bodysuits develop over time. We plan the complete composition first rather than treating every sitting as a separate tattoo.

We usually begin with the outline. Background, shading and colour follow over several sessions, with enough time to heal between them. Work made to last a lifetime does not need to be rushed.

You do not need to arrive with a finished design. A rough idea, a particular image or even a mood is enough for the first conversation.

Black-and-grey Japanese dragon and flower leg sleeve. Black-and-grey Japanese koi, cherry blossoms and waves across the shoulder and back.

Dragons, koi and other subjects

The meaning of a Japanese tattoo lives in the complete composition. The same subject can tell a different story depending on its direction, season and surrounding imagery.

  • Dragons
  • Koi
  • Tigers
  • Snakes
  • Hannya masks
  • Samurai
  • Peonies
  • Chrysanthemums
  • Cherry blossoms
  • Waves and wind

We explain the traditional references and help you find imagery that suits both the idea and the body. We do not copy another person’s tattoo.

Detail of a colour Japanese snake tattoo with strong red and green areas. Detail of a Japanese frog tattoo with cherry blossoms and waves.

Smaller Japanese tattoos

A Japanese tattoo does not have to cover an entire arm or back.

A smaller subject can carry the same clarity when it is chosen carefully and given enough room. A single flower, mask or snake can make a strong tattoo without becoming part of a full bodysuit.

Walk-ins are welcome when the day allows. Larger projects begin with a consultation.

Colour Hotei tattoo with waves and flowers on the forearm. Hand-drawn Japanese Kintaro, koi and wave composition.

Door Number Four Tattoo Vienna

Door Number Four is a licensed and hygiene-inspected tattoo studio at Laudongasse 20 in Vienna’s 8th district. We have tattooed in Vienna since 2009 and welcome clients from the city and around the world.

Open Tuesday to Saturday, 12:00–19:00.

For a Japanese tattoo, send us your idea, approximate size, placement and a few clear photographs of the area. We will reply with the next steps.

Request a consultation
Black-and-grey Japanese snake and cloud tattoo. Detail of a black-and-grey Japanese flower and wave tattoo.