Inside a secretive Japanese tattoo master's studio

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “Don’t come all this way just to get something that any decent tattoo artist back home can do. A tattoo shop is easier to find – Three Tides in Shibuya, Tokyo, for example – and they’ll have a number of artists, so you’ll easily be able to get what you want. If you get tattooed traditionally it’s bad form to move or grimace and you will only be given a five-minute break every hour, so good luck!” I give good gamman. He only charges me for an hour, though, which means I’m now decorated with a beautiful, glowing sakura, by one of the world’s great tattoo artists – and it cost me £70.