 
3/4 sleeve, body suit (in progress)  
3/4 sleeve, back piece (in progress) samurai helmet  
samurai helmet, sakura flowers, pedals 
all works done by Hiroyuki. www.39tattoo.com The past 2 weeks, i had the opportunity to goto Japan. I went from Tokyo to Kobe, to Kyoto, to Osaka, and back to Tokyo. By far, I enjoyed Kobe, and Kyoto the most. In Japan, tattooing comes with a sociological price. People with tattoos are refused service in many settings such as swimming pools, and "o-sen" or japanese hotsprings. They are considered "yakuza", the Japanese mafia, even if they're not. Most people see them as outlaws, and an act of lower social classes. But in a strange, almost perverted way, tattooing , like many other common hobbies, bring people together. My Samurai Mask brought two people from opposite sides of the world together. Hori Hiroyuki invited me to dine with his friends. Despite our inability to speak eachother's language, we all shared something in common. That common ground, broke all cultural barriers. My mask became a life long memory of the hospitable friends i have in Japan. We may never meet again but we each carry something that will remind us of the short 2 days. These people accepted me without prejudice, despite all the reasons to do so. What saddens me is that their own culture don't accept them. Cheers to you guys. | 
