Japanese tattoo stencils
Six designs in the Japanese manner: flowers, a butterfly, a web with blossoms and a skull with a snake. All of them are drawn for a large placement, the back, thigh, chest or a sleeve.
6.00 in6.00 inJapanese rose (botan-style)
6″Japanese rose (botan-style)
7″Japanese chrysanthemum
7″Cherry blossom branch
5.5″Japanese butterfly
7.5″Japanese skull and snake
5″Web with cherry blossoms
No designs match these filters. Clear a filter to see the rest.
§1Where Japanese tattooing comes from
The Japanese style, irezumi, took its decorative form in the Edo period. Around 1827 the woodblock artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi began a series of prints from the Chinese novel known in Japan as Suikoden, and drew its outlaw heroes covered in tattoos. Kabuki plays and prints of those heroes spread the fashion among ordinary city people, who asked tattooers for the same images.
A traditional piece is built around one main figure, a flower, a fish or an animal. The background, called gakubori, is part of the design rather than empty skin: wind bars, waves, clouds or rocks wrap around the figure and tie it to the body.
§2The six designs on this page
This is a small set, and it is mostly flowers. R-11 Japanese rose is drawn as a botan, the Japanese peony, with wind bars behind it. FL-05 Japanese chrysanthemum and FL-06 Cherry blossom branch are the largest flowers, 7 in by default; the branch is drawn for a sleeve. BF-05 Japanese butterfly and SP-09 Web with cherry blossoms are mid-size, 5 to 5.5 in. SK-05 Japanese skull and snake is the biggest piece here at 7.5 in, made for a back or thigh.
There are no koi, dragons, tigers, frogs or samurai on this page.
§3Sizing a Japanese piece
Every design here is meant for a large placement. Shrunk to wrist size, the petals and scales close up and the piece stops reading.
| Placement | Usual size | Good designs |
|---|---|---|
| Forearm | 3–6 in | FL-06, SP-09 |
| Chest | 3–10 in | R-11, FL-05, BF-05 |
| Back, thigh | 4–10 in | SK-05, FL-05, R-11, BF-05, SP-09 |
A design wider than 7.5 in prints across several sheets. Tape them edge to edge, then check the 1 inch test square before you make the transfer.
Ranges from published size charts by Saved Tattoo and Inkjin.
§4Questions
Q1What is Japanese tattoo flash?
Flash drawn in the Japanese manner: one main figure, usually a flower or an animal, with wind bars, waves or clouds behind it instead of bare skin. Pick a design on this page, set the size and print it in the format you need.
Q2Do you have a koi, dragon or samurai stencil?
No. The set is six designs: flowers, a butterfly, a web with blossoms and a skull with a snake. If a koi or dragon stencil is what you came for, this site does not have one.
Q3What is irezumi?
A Japanese word for tattooing, used in English for the traditional Japanese style. Its decorative form grew popular in the Edo period, after woodblock prints of tattooed heroes from the Suikoden.
Q4How big should a Japanese tattoo be?
Big enough for the detail. The designs here default to 5–7.5 in, which suits a back or thigh (4–10 in) or the chest (3–10 in). FL-06 and SP-09 also fit a forearm at up to 6 in.