In Japan, tattoos have long carried a stigma due to their association with irezumi, the traditional ink of yakuza gangsters.
In the past, this negative connotation could make job hunting more difficult for locals with hard-to-cover tattoos and limit access to gyms, public pools and onsen (hot springs) for tattoo-bearing visitors as well.
However, the country’s younger generations are pushing back against the stereotype of inked-up delinquency with a different kind of body art: temporary tattoos made from natural dyes and biodegradable materials.
According to statistics from Cognitive Market Research, Japan’s temporary tattoo market was valued at ¥5.45 billion (about $37 million) in 2024 and is projected to grow 10.1% through to 2031.
One of the styles of temporary tattoos driving growth in Japan is the henna tattoo, which is made from a natural dye derived from Lawsonia inermis plants. Where permanent tattoos inject ink into the second layer of skin with molecules that cannot be easily broken down, absorbed and disposed of by the immune system, henna dye stains the surface skin layer only.
This makes patterns and designs that typically last a few days, with the intensity of the stain varying depending on the body area and individual skin type, explains, Yuko Ishii, 47, a henna artist who goes by the pseudonym Komitu and has been tattooing in Japan for 10 years.
Komitu runs Koun O Yobu, a henna tattoo salon, in Hayama, Kanagawa Prefecture, where she says demand for henna tattoos has increased in recent years. She says most of her clients are women in their 30s and 40s, adding that children also come in for henna tattoos.
According to Komitu, the appeal of henna tattoos lies in their temporary nature, allowing people to experiment with different designs.
“Each design has its meaning, and I create them with the customers’ emotional state in mind,” she says.
Raiki, a Japanese woman in her 20s residing in the Kanto region, has had henna tattoos three times and says she values their uniqueness and flexibility. She got them as a form of fashion and self-expression.
“I get bored easily, so I love changing designs,” she says.
Although she has no resistance to permanent tattoos, she recognizes the social challenges they can bring.
“As long as it doesn’t bother others, I think people should get whatever kinds of tattoos they like best,” she says.
Dyeing for ink
Another type of temporary ink gaining popularity among Japanese youth is the jagua tattoo.
These tattoos are made from natural dye extracted from jagua, a tropical fruit native to North and South America. This dye produces a darker color than henna that some believe more closely resembles real tattoos, but designs made with it usually last around two weeks.
From Jagua Tattoo Salon Nagi in Tokyo’s Koenji neighborhood, owner and tattoo artist Nagi says that more Japanese people have become aware of this type of alternative ink in recent years, with many of her customers being women in their 20s.
According to the artist, customers’ reasons for getting jagua tattoos vary, ranging from fashion and self-expression to wanting a tattoo but being unable to get a permanent one due to workplace restrictions. She acknowledged that in Japan, permanent tattoos still tend to have a negative social image, so some people choose to get jagua tattoos instead.
During a visit to Salon Nagi on July 22, Nagi is working on Sara, a 24-year-old Tokyo resident who says she has always been curious about tattoos but lacked the courage to get a permanent one.
While Sara says she holds no prejudice against permanent tattoos, she believes such bias still exists in Japanese society. That social perception, she explains, makes a temporary tattoo from jagua an appealing choice as it allows her to enjoy the look of a tattoo without the long-term commitment. Having previously tried henna, she opted for jagua this time because of its delicate design and closer resemblance to a real tattoo.
For her jagua tattoo on her right arm, Sara chose a moon surrounded by a scattering of tiny stars. With a fine-tipped pen-like applicator filled with black dye, Nagi traces a sketch to apply intricate details.
“I thought it would be cool to have a jagua tattoo as a fashion statement,” Sara says, adding that the broader exposure and variety of temporary tattoos in Japan could lead to greater acceptance of both temporary and permanent body art.
‘Made to fade’
The impermanence of henna and jagua-based tattoos stems not only from their roots as natural dyes but by their application process, wherein the skin isn’t penetrated and only the uppermost layer is affected.
However, Ephemeral, a U.S. company that sells an otherwise traditional tattoo ink designed to fade over several years, presents a more authentic approach to tattoo-curious customers in Japan.
Kyotaro Noguchi, 25, an artist who goes by the pseudonym Kyo and has four years of experience working in permanent tattoos, began offering Ephemeral tattoos in 2024 at One Point Tattoo, a studio in Tokyo’s Yotsuya neighborhood. According to him, the studio’s owner anticipated rising demand for nonpermanent tattoos like those using Ephemeral ink, and the studio was likely among the first to offer them in Japan.
Founded in 2016, Ephemeral says its “made-to-fade” product is made from “medical-grade bioabsorbable polymers,” “color additives used in food and cosmetics” and a “water-based carrier solution” that can be naturally broken down by the body over time. Kyo explains that many of the tattoos he applies fade significantly after one year, but the company made headlines in 2023 when U.S.-based customers reported less fading than expected.
Kyo says that while Ephemeral ink is initially not widely recognized as a new category of temporary tattoo, there has been a noticeable increase in customers getting such tattoos since early this year.
“More people are choosing Ephemeral tattoos, and roughly 80% of them are women in their 20s,” Kyo says, adding that many customers view it as a trial before committing to a permanent tattoo.
One such customer is Kaede Matsumoto, an 18-year-old Japanese woman residing in Chiba Prefecture.
“I got an Ephemeral tattoo because I wanted to have something I like on my body,” she says. “I chose it over a permanent one because I was worried — what if I didn’t like it or it didn’t turn out as I expected? So I went with something that would eventually fade.”
Kaede adds that she isn’t opposed to permanent tattoos, noting that both her parents have them and that she’s wanted one since childhood.
While societal stigma around permanent tattoos still lingers, the growing variety and rising popularity of temporary tattoos may gradually help shift public perception of tattoos. For some, these tattoos offer a safe way to explore self-expression; for others, they serve as fashion statements.
Whether through henna, jagua, or Ephemeral ink, nonpermanent tattoos are becoming a culturally accepted way for a new generation to express themselves on their own terms — and on their own skin.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.