Ita-tattoo (痛タトゥー) is Japanese slang for a tattoo of an anime, manga or video game character. The name comes from itasha, cars covered in character art, and the "ita" means cringeworthy, not painful. This guide covers where the term came from, the artists behind anime tattoos in Japan, common design approaches, and what to know about copyright, regret and Japan's tattoo rules before you book.
Key points
- An ita-tattoo is a tattoo of an anime, manga or game character. "Ita" comes from itai (cringeworthy) by way of itasha, not from pain
- Anime tattoos are also called otattoo (otaku + tattoo), a word credited to Osaka tattoo artist Hori Benny
- On Tattoo Japan, 34 designs are tagged Anime or Manga, and black and grey is the most common style (14)
- We found no Japanese court ruling or official publisher guidance on fans getting a character tattooed. Talk it through with your artist
- Browse anime tattoo designs
You can browse real anime tattoos tattooed in Japan under the Anime, Manga and Game Character tags on Tattoo Japan.
What does "ita-tattoo" mean?
"Ita" as in itasha, not "it hurts"
In everyday Japanese, itai means "painful". In slang it also describes something cringeworthy: the Daijisen dictionary defines this sense as smug behavior so out of place that it is hard to watch. Its entry for itasha (痛車) describes cars decorated with drawn or printed anime and game characters, and points to that slang sense of itai. (Sources: Kotobank "痛車", Kotobank "痛い", in Japanese)
Ita-tattoos borrow the name. In 2014, SoraNews24 reported that anime tattoos were being called ita-tattoos, "much like the anime-decal covered itasha cars that inspired their name." (Source: SoraNews24, May 2014)
So if you searched for "itai tattoo", the term has nothing to do with how much the tattoo hurts.
Otattoo: otaku + tattoo
Anime tattoos also go by otattoo (ヲタトゥー, also spelled otatoo or wotatoo), a blend of "otaku" and "tattoo". Writer Brian Ashcraft wrote in Kotaku that the word "was coined by this book's coauthor, Hori Benny", referring to their book Japanese Tattoos. (Source: Kotaku, 2016)
TOKION, a Japanese culture magazine, introduced Hori Benny in 2022 as the "otattoo evangelist". (Source: TOKION, November 2022)
How anime tattoos caught on in Japan
We could not find any statistics on how many people in Japan have anime tattoos. What we do have is press coverage of the artists and fans involved.
2014: a Yokohama studio doing two or three a month
SoraNews24 wrote in 2014 that anime tattoos were "still a pretty small subset of the body art scene in Japan", with most studios getting one or two requests a year at most. The exception it profiled was Diablo Art in Yokohama, where artist Aki was creating two or three ita-tattoos a month. (Source: SoraNews24, May 2014)
2016: Evangelion fans in Osaka
The Kotaku excerpt from Japanese Tattoos features Ayane, an Osaka otaku with tattoos of Asuka Langley and Rei Ayanami from Neon Genesis Evangelion. "I've always loved anime," she says in the excerpt, explaining that if she was going to get tattooed, she wanted anime characters. (Source: Kotaku, 2016)
2022: Hori Benny and "Otattoo Nights"
Hori Benny is an American-born tattoo artist based at Invasion Club, his studio near Nipponbashi, Osaka's otaku district. In his 2022 TOKION interview, he explained that he started after seeing a badly done anime tattoo online whose owner was being mocked in the comments. As an anime fan, he thought "what's wrong with liking anime?" and decided "to make anime tattoos executed at a level that nobody could make fun of." (Source: TOKION, November 2022)
He doesn't claim to be the first: a senior artist he knew had already done Gundam tattoos. He and a friend hosted "Otattoo Nights" in Osaka's Misono Building, with cosplay and DJs playing anime songs, and about 70 people came to the first one. Common requests included Shonen Jump titles such as Chainsaw Man and characters from Touhou. Lately he has also tattooed V-Tubers, about ten of them by the time of the interview. (Same source)
Anime tattoos on Tattoo Japan
On Tattoo Japan's design gallery, 34 of 977 posted designs carry the Anime or Manga tag (as of October 25, 2026). Here is how they break down by style:
| Style | Designs |
|---|---|
| Black and Grey | 14 |
| Fine Line / Linework | 7 |
| Neo Traditional | 3 |
| Geometric | 2 |
| Other styles | 8 |
Black and grey plus fine line account for 21 of the 34, about 60%. Twenty were placed on the arm and ten on the leg, and 31 of the 34 name the studio that did the work.
Tags are chosen by the people who post, so treat these as a rough picture. Many design pages link to the studio or artist behind the tattoo, which is a handy way to find someone for your own piece.
Anime tattoo design ideas
The character or a favorite scene
The most direct option is the character itself. Hori Benny says clients differ: some just pick a character in a certain outfit and leave the rest to him, while others want a specific scene reproduced exactly.
Once the character is decided, he asks for a photo of the body part being tattooed so he can match the pose to the shape of the body, a habit he credits to his training in Japanese traditional tattooing. (Source: TOKION, November 2022)
A tattoo the character has
Some characters wear tattoos of their own, such as the numbered spider of the Phantom Troupe in Hunter x Hunter, or Ace's and Law's tattoos in One Piece. Getting the mark or lettering instead of the character's face is a subtler way to show the series you love.
A name or a line of dialogue
You can also skip the artwork and tattoo a character's name or a line from the series in lettering. Browse the Lettering and Quote tags for typography ideas.
An original design inspired by the series
Another route is an original piece built from the series' colors, motifs and objects rather than a copy of the character. Hori Benny started suggesting original characters to clients before the pandemic, asking himself, "if I'm only tattooing pre-existing anime characters, doesn't that dilute my artistic expression?" (Source: TOKION, November 2022) Tattoo Japan also has designs tagged Fan Art.
For how styles like neo traditional or fine line differ, see our guide to types of tattoos.
Are anime character tattoos a copyright problem?
It is a fair question to ask before you book.
In Japan, lawyer Masami Takeshita answered a reader who asked about copying a popular manga character onto clothing. He wrote that manga drawings are artistic works protected by Japan's Copyright Act and that the right to reproduce them belongs to the copyright holder. In the same answer, he noted that people may copy a work themselves for personal use or use within the home, again in the clothing context. The column covers neither tattoos nor a tattoo artist copying a design on a client's behalf. (Source: Money Post Web, July 2022, in Japanese)
We found no Japanese court ruling and no official publisher guidance on fans getting a character tattooed on their own body (checked October 25, 2026).
Outside Japan, the Arts Law Centre of Australia tells tattooists that under Australian law, "Where a substantial part of an original copyright work is copied, a tattooist risks facing a copyright infringement claim," and that "Minor alterations to the image are not enough to avoid liability." (Source: Arts Law Centre of Australia)
If you want a character, raise it with your artist first. An original design inspired by the series, or a mark the character wears, are worth discussing with them too.
This is not legal advice
If you need to know whether a specific design raises a copyright issue, ask a lawyer who handles copyright.
How to avoid regretting an anime tattoo
Why people regret tattoos
We found no survey on regret for anime tattoos specifically. For tattoos in general, a 2023 Pew Research Center survey found that 24% of tattooed U.S. adults ever regret getting one or more of their tattoos. (Source: Pew Research Center, August 2023)
In a 2015 Harris Poll of U.S. adults, the top reasons for regret were: (Source: The Harris Poll, February 2016)
- Too young when they got the tattoo
- Personality changes / doesn't fit their present lifestyle
- Got someone's name they are no longer with
- Poorly done / doesn't look professional
- Isn't meaningful
Pick an artist who draws anime well
"Poorly done" is on that list, and seeing a badly done anime tattoo is what got Hori Benny started. Look through an artist's portfolio for anime or illustration work before you book. On Tattoo Japan, you can search tattoo artists and see their posted work.
Think about how you'll feel in ten years
Personality change also ranks high. Ask yourself whether you'll still love the series years from now. If you're unsure, a motif or a line from the story is a lower-key option than a character's face.
Think about who will see it, and where
Hori Benny says he considers not only the person getting the tattoo but also "their friends, their family, the people they're going to show it to. Because tattoos are for life." (Source: TOKION, November 2022)
In Japan, placement also matters for bathing. The Japan Tourism Agency's ryokan Q&A explains that "In the minds of many Japanese, tattoos are associated with organized crime groups," and that "Policies about tattoos differ widely from ryokan to ryokan." The Q&A does not mention any distinction by design. (Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Ryokan Q&A)
For survey data and the practical downsides of tattoos in Japan, read our tattoo regret guide.
Getting an anime tattoo in Japan
- Collect references. Save images of the character, outfit or scene you want, plus tattoos you like. The Anime tag is a good start.
- Find an artist. Choose someone whose portfolio includes anime or illustration work. If you're visiting Japan, contact the studio well before your trip.
- Consult before tattooing. Tell the artist the series, character, outfit or scene, placement, size and colors, and agree on the design and price. See tattoo prices in Japan for typical costs.
- Get tattooed and look after it. Pain depends mostly on placement (tattoo pain chart). Afterward, follow your artist's aftercare instructions (tattoo aftercare in Japan).
Ita-tattoo FAQ
Does "ita-tattoo" mean the tattoo is more painful?
No. "Ita" comes from itai in its slang sense of cringeworthy, borrowed from itasha. How much a tattoo hurts depends on placement, size and the person, not on whether it shows an anime character.
What's the difference between an ita-tattoo and an otattoo?
Both refer to tattoos of anime, manga or game characters. Ita-tattoo is modeled on itasha, while otattoo blends "otaku" and "tattoo" and is credited to Osaka artist Hori Benny.
Is it legal to get an anime character tattooed?
We found no Japanese court ruling or official publisher guidance on fans tattooing a character on their own body. Discuss it with your artist, and ask a lawyer if you need a definite answer for a specific design.
Can I go to an onsen with an anime tattoo?
It depends on the facility. The Japan Tourism Agency's ryokan Q&A does not treat tattoos differently by design, and policies vary from place to place. Check each facility's policy, or search for tattoo-friendly onsen on Tattoo Japan.
How do I find an artist in Japan who does anime tattoos?
Look for anime or illustration work in artists' portfolios. On Tattoo Japan, many designs under the Anime tag link to the studio or artist who did them.
Final thoughts
An ita-tattoo is a tattoo of an anime, manga or game character, named after itasha cars. In Japan, artists such as Hori Benny have made anime tattoos a specialty.
Before you book, think about the design approach, how you'll feel years from now, where it will show, and the copyright question, and talk it all through with your artist.
This article is based on publicly available information as of October 2026.
