Amid the current tattoo boom in the United States, an increasing number of Americans are requesting designs with Asian themes.
Paul Roe of Grafixx Tattoo said much of his work in the U.S. capital is done "under the pinstripe" of affluent customers looking for a unique way to set themselves apart from their friends, with pictorial designs featuring carp and kanji proving particularly popular.
"It's your own work and nothing can take that art away from you," Roe said. "It'll be with you wherever you go, forever."
Roe said he is in awe of the Japanese practice of tattooing and especially its "tebori" (hand-engraving) method, describing it as the "father of tattoo art."