The work of Japanese horror mangaka Junji Ito makes for compelling contemporary tattoo ideas.
A mangaka describes a manga creator and illustrator, with Junji Ito being one of the greats that have shaped horror-style manga and anime into a force worldwide.
He’s known for works such as Tomi, Uzumaki, and Gyo, a wide array of short stories and collections, and the parody series focused on his life with his wife Ayako Ishiguro and two cats called, Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon & Mu.
Ito’s work includes themes of jealousy, envy, body horror, irrationality and compulsion, and the inevitability of one’s death. His art is simple, yet highly suggestive and often violent.
Tattoos of Junji Ito’s work are mainly horror or absurdist in tone, utilizing modern techniques in linework, black ink, and shading to create the look of the traditional manga-style comic.
The following collection of the top 46 Junji Ito tattoo ideas pay homage to the artist’s work and make great body art pieces for collectors with a love of manga horror-based art.
1. Junji Ito Inspired Arm Tattoos
2. Ito Cat Tattoos
3. Flower Manga Tattoo Designs
4. Manga Panel Tattoo Ideas
5. Small Junji Ito Style Tattoo Ideas
6. Horror Snail Tattoos
7. Souichi Tattoo Designs
8. Tomie Tattoo Ideas
9. Uzumaki and Horror Spiral Tattoos
Who is Junji Ito?
Junji Ito is a hugely popular mangaka (manga creator) famous for publishing works skewed towards modern horror and absurdist themes.
He’s known for works such as Tomie, Uzumaki, and Gyo, a wide array of short stories and collections, and the parody series focused on his life with wife Ayako Ishiguro and two cats, called Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon & Mu.
What are popular Junji Ito tattoo themes?
Collectors who get a Junji Ito tattoo have a love for traditional Japanese manga, with much of the body art utilizing black ink and linework to create pieces with a focus on horror/and or the absurd.
Ito’s work includes themes of jealousy, envy, body horror, irrationality and compulsion, and the inevitability of one’s death. His art is simple, yet highly suggestive and often violent.
Which Junji Ito Characters are the most popular in tattoos?
The titular character from Ito’s first Manga, Tomie is arguably his most popular character in tattoo art. She is easy to spot with black hair and a beauty mark – possesses the power to make anyone fall in love with her, driving them into jealous rages that lead to violence.
The three volume Uzumaki is a series about a town obsessed with spirals, which builds on flipping popular tropes within other manga titles.
Souichi Tsujii is the main character of many of the short stories in the Junji Ito Collection Manga, usually seen biting iron/steel nails in his mouth due to the lack of iron in his body.
With Ito being a prominent cat lover, Junji Ito’s Cat Diary provides fertile ground for interesting cat tattoo designs – you’ll often see tattoos with them biting something.
How much do Juni Ito inspired tattoos cost?
Ito style tattoo art can be done exceptionally at a price tag lower than many other tattoo styles of the same styles.
Black ink and linework designs are generally cheaper, so a well done piece of a small size could take only a couple of hours and cost around $300.
With manga tattoos though, engaging an artist with experience in the style is the best method of getting a brilliant piece of body art, so it may be worthwhile to spend at least $250 an hour for an expert tattooist to bring your manga tattoo to life.