The Journey of Horiyume
Where It All Began
My journey into tattooing didn't begin in a tattoo shop.
It began when I was 17 years old, growing up around the graffiti world. During what we called a "motion", I fell from a train. That experience became an unexpected turning point in my life and eventually led me toward tattooing.
At the time, I couldn't have known where that path would take me.
What began as an interest in art and graffiti would eventually become a lifelong dedication to the study of tattooing.
Discovering Japanese Irezumi
In 1997, everything changed.
I picked up a copy of Skin & Ink magazine and opened it to a centerfold featuring the bodysuits of Horiyoshi III.
I remember being immediately captivated.
It wasn't simply the imagery that caught my attention. It was the way the tattoos were designed to fit the human body. The compositions flowed with the anatomy, creating something that felt like a complete work of art rather than separate tattoos placed next to one another.
I fell in love with Japanese Irezumi.
From that moment, I wanted to understand how these tattoos were created, why they were designed the way they were, and what it meant to dedicate yourself to this tradition.
Beginning My Journey with Horiyoshi III
That same year, in 1997, I began traveling to study and experience traditional Japanese tattooing firsthand.
My first major project with Horiyoshi III was a chest piece, created entirely using Tebori, the traditional Japanese hand-poked method.
The experience changed the way I understood tattooing.
I didn't want the journey to stop with one piece. After completing my chest, I knew that I wanted to continue building my body through the work of Sensei and experience as much of the tradition as I could.
What began with one chest piece eventually became a much larger journey.
Becoming Horiyume
In 2013, after years of traveling, studying, collecting, and developing my own understanding of Japanese tattooing, Horiyoshi III gifted me the name Horiyume.
Receiving that name was an incredibly meaningful moment in my life.
It wasn't the beginning of my artistic journey. The foundation had already been built through years of practice, observation, travel, study, and dedication.
But receiving the name marked an important chapter in that journey.
Horiyume became part of my identity as an artist and my commitment to continuing the study of Japanese tattooing.
Still Learning
My artistic style developed over many years, before and after receiving the name Horiyume.
But I don't consider the journey finished.
I am still studying.
I am still drawing.
I am still looking at the work of those who came before me.
I am still learning how Japanese Irezumi interacts with the human body, how composition creates movement, and how traditional imagery can tell a personal story.
The more I learn, the more I realize there is still to learn.
That is something I believe is essential to being an artist.
You don't arrive at a final destination and stop growing.
You continue to study, continue to practice, and continue to challenge yourself.
My Journey Continues
From falling off a train at 17 to discovering Japanese Irezumi in a magazine in 1997, to traveling and receiving my first Tebori chest piece from Horiyoshi III, and eventually being given the name Horiyume in 2013—my path has never been something I could have planned.
It has been a journey built through experience, dedication, relationships, mistakes, study, and thousands of hours of tattooing.
Today, I continue to study the art that first captured my attention in that Skin & Ink centerfold.
The goal remains the same:
To keep learning. To keep improving. To respect the tradition. And to create tattoos that belong to the body they are made for.
This is my journey.
I am Horiyume—and I'm still learning.