We couldn't find any official figure for how much tattoo artists make in Japan, either from the government or from an industry survey. What we can show is how the money works: what studios charge, how much of it an artist keeps when working at a studio, and what an independent artist pays out. The numbers below come from the 275 studios listed on Tattoo Japan whose price notes we could read, and from studios' own recruitment pages.
Key takeaways
- We found no official salary statistics or industry surveys for tattoo artists (horishi) in Japan
- Income = rate × hours booked. Studio artists keep a share (commission); independent artists pay costs and tax
- The median hourly rate at studios listed on Tattoo Japan is ¥10,000 (164 studios). In Tokyo it is ¥13,000
- Example: ¥10,000 an hour × 80 hours a month = ¥800,000 in sales. At a 60% split, the artist keeps ¥480,000 (an illustration, not a statistic)
- Since a 2020 Supreme Court ruling, tattoo artists in Japan do not need a medical license
- Browse tattoo artists in Japan
To see what artists in Japan actually tattoo and charge, browse tattoo artists and tattoo studios by region on Tattoo Japan.
Is There an Average Tattoo Artist Salary in Japan?
Not one you can rely on. As of October 25, 2026, we found no government statistic or industry-body survey of tattoo artists' income in Japan. Some websites quote an "average salary", but none we found said who was surveyed or how.
Pay arrangements also differ. Some studios pay artists a share of what they bring in rather than a fixed wage, as you'll see below, so a single average would say little.
How a Tattoo Artist's Income Adds Up
The basic math
- Sales = price per piece × number of pieces (for hourly work: hourly rate × hours tattooed)
- Studio artist's pay = sales × their share (commission)
- Independent artist's profit = sales − business costs (tax and pension come out of this)
Prices come from Tattoo Japan's own data. We read the price notes of the tattoo studios listed on the site and pulled out the starting price for each size from the 275 studios where we could read an amount (as of October 23, 2026).
| Size | Median starting price | Studios |
|---|---|---|
| One-point (coin size) | ¥10,000 | 218 |
| Cigarette pack | ¥20,000 | 135 |
| Postcard (~10 × 15 cm) | ~¥39,000 | 150 |
| A4 (~21 × 30 cm) | ¥70,000 | 58 |
| Hourly rate | ¥10,000 an hour | 164 |
The median is the middle value when all prices are sorted. Of the 164 hourly rates, 143 (87%) fall between ¥10,000 and ¥15,000. These are the "from" prices studios publish, so detail and color push real prices higher. For the full breakdown, see our guide to tattoo prices in Japan.
Apprentices, Studio Artists and Independent Artists
Apprentices
We found no survey of apprentice pay in Japan either, and conditions vary by studio. Some studios don't publish them: Sol Design Nagoya Tattoo Studio, for example, says it shares the details of its apprentice (assistant) position after you apply. (Source: Sol Design Nagoya recruitment page (Japanese))
Others describe a paid apprenticeship. STROKER TATTOO in Yokohama says that training under a salary at the studio is different from going to a school, and that, as a company, it provides social insurance. (Source: STROKER TATTOO, notes for apprentice applicants, Jan 2023 (Japanese))
If an apprentice is employed by the studio, Japan's minimum wage applies. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare says the regional minimum wage covers every worker, whatever the job is called or however it is classified, including part-timers. (Source: MHLW, scope of the minimum wage (Japanese)) Before you start, ask whether you will be employed and what you will be paid.
Artists Working at a Studio (Commission)
Studio artists can be paid on commission, a percentage of the sales from their own clients. K-TATTOOED in Fukuoka advertises a 60–70% return to the artist on its recruitment page. Tattoo Studio SEEK, which has shops in Tokyo, hires experienced artists as independent contractors on full commission, so pay rises and falls with sales. (Source: K-TATTOOED recruitment page (Japanese); Tattoo Studio SEEK recruitment page (Japanese))
The table below is an illustration, not data: it applies a 60% split to the median hourly rate of ¥10,000.
| Hours a month | Sales a month | Example: 60% share, per month | Example: 60% share, per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 hours | ¥400,000 | ¥240,000 | ¥2.88 million |
| 80 hours | ¥800,000 | ¥480,000 | ¥5.76 million |
| 120 hours | ¥1.2 million | ¥720,000 | ¥8.64 million |
About this example
This is arithmetic, not a statistic. It uses the median hourly rate of studios listed on Tattoo Japan (¥10,000) and the low end of K-TATTOOED's advertised return rate (60%), treated as the artist's share of sales. Real bookings vary from month to month, and cancellations leave gaps. Design, drawing and consultation time may not be billed, so not every working hour earns money.
Hourly work is paid for the time spent tattooing. TATTOO STUDIO BETTY in Miyagi, for example, charges no separate design, needle or color fee, and for work that takes more than one day the client pays for the hours tattooed that day. (Source: TATTOO STUDIO BETTY price page (Japanese)) When design work isn't billed separately, the hours spent drawing earn nothing directly.
Independent Artists
An artist who runs their own studio keeps all the sales but pays every cost: rent and utilities, needles, ink and other supplies, equipment and advertising. In Japan's tax system, business income is total revenue minus necessary expenses. (Source: National Tax Agency, No.1350 (Japanese))
Large pieces bring in more per client. BARON TATTOO in Osaka lists a full back piece in the Japanese style (nuki-bori on its list) from ¥300,000, and Enma Horiyu in Gunma lists a full back in gaku-bori from ¥800,000, quoted for black-only work. Both are guide prices. (Source: BARON TATTOO price page (Japanese); Enma Horiyu price page (Japanese))
Profit is taxed, and self-employed people who are not in the employees' pension scheme pay their own national pension contributions. (Source: Japan Pension Service (Japanese)) Consumption tax comes in at higher sales: a sole proprietor whose taxable sales two years earlier were ¥10 million or less is generally exempt, unless they are registered to issue qualified invoices. (Source: National Tax Agency, No.6501 (Japanese))
What Makes a Tattoo Artist's Income Go Up or Down
Rates and Reputation
Rates differ from artist to artist, even inside one studio. Shadow Ink Tattoo in Osaka charges from ¥11,000 an hour for its resident artists and from ¥13,000 for EISHIN. (Source: Shadow Ink Tattoo price page (Japanese))
Bookings follow the work. A tattoo is hard to remove, so an artist's portfolio is a big part of how clients choose, whether they find it on social media or on directories such as Tattoo Japan's artist search, which shows each artist's work and reviews.
Location
Prices are higher in Tokyo. In our data, the median hourly rate is ¥13,000 at studios in Tokyo (55 studios) and ¥10,000 elsewhere (109 studios). For one-point tattoos, the middle half of Tokyo studios start at ¥8,000–¥12,000, against ¥5,000–¥10,000 elsewhere.
The same hours earn more at a higher rate. Rent and other costs also differ by area, though, so take-home pay doesn't necessarily rise by the same amount.
Bookings, Deposits and Cancellations
An hourly artist earns only for booked time, so a last-minute cancellation is lost income. Some studios protect that time with a deposit. LUCKY ROUND TATTOO in Osaka takes a deposit of about ¥5,000–¥10,000 when you book and keeps it as a cancellation fee if you cancel or change the date. (Source: LUCKY ROUND TATTOO studio details (Japanese))
A Recognizable Style
Tattooing covers many styles: Japanese traditional (irezumi), black and grey, fine line and more. An artist known for one style can get requested for it by name, which gives room to raise rates.
Income Beyond Tattooing
Other income can come from selling apparel or prints of the artist's designs, selling flash (pre-drawn designs), and guest spots at studios or tattoo conventions abroad. Teaching is another route: STROKER TATTOO says it can also teach people as a school, separately from its apprenticeship. (Source: STROKER TATTOO (Japanese))
Do Tattoo Artists Need a License in Japan?
No medical license is needed. In September 2020, Japan's Supreme Court ruled that tattooing by a tattoo artist who is not a doctor is not a "medical act" under the Medical Practitioners' Act. (Source: Supreme Court of Japan, Case No. 2018 (A) 1790 (Japanese))
Learning the craft is a separate question. Our guide on how to become a tattoo artist covers apprenticeships, schools and self-study.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a tattoo artist make in Japan?
We found no official average. Income depends on the rate, the hours booked and the arrangement. At ¥10,000 an hour and 80 hours a month, sales are ¥800,000; a studio artist on a 60% split would keep ¥480,000, while an independent artist would keep sales minus costs and tax.
Do tattoo apprentices in Japan get paid?
It depends on the studio. Some describe a salaried apprenticeship, and an apprentice who is employed by a studio is covered by the minimum wage. Ask about pay and employment before you agree to anything.
Do tattoo artists in Tokyo earn more?
Tokyo rates are higher: the median hourly rate is ¥13,000 there against ¥10,000 elsewhere, in Tattoo Japan's data. Costs such as rent also differ by area, so take-home pay doesn't necessarily differ by the same amount.
Is there an age limit for tattoo apprentices?
Some studios set one in their apprentice listings. Sol Design Nagoya Tattoo Studio takes apprentices up to age 30, STROKER TATTOO up to about 27, and Tattoo Studio SEEK between 20 and 30.
Is tattooing legal in Japan?
Yes. In 2020 the Supreme Court ruled that tattooing by an artist who is not a doctor is not a medical act, so tattoo artists don't need a medical license.
The Bottom Line
We found no reliable average salary for tattoo artists in Japan, and incomes vary widely. What decides pay is simple: the rate, the hours booked, and then either the studio's split or the independent artist's costs and tax.
The median hourly rate among studios listed on Tattoo Japan is ¥10,000, and ¥13,000 in Tokyo. Strong work, a clear style and steady bookings are what move those numbers.
This article is based on public information as of October 2026 and Tattoo Japan's studio listings as of October 23, 2026.
