With the rise in the popularity of tattoos, people are developing new styles, types, and methods of tattooing. One of the most recent types of tattoos is of the Geisha tattoo. The Geisha is female Japanese entertainers and is, what many consider, the epitome of femininity and elegance.
Often a choice for women, artists have made countless geisha tattoos, some inspired by original Japanese folklore and some given a more modern retro twist. If you are new to tattoos or want to partake in the ever-growing trend here are some amazing Geisha tattoo ideas.
1. Sci-Fi Geisha Tattoos
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A perfect mix of pop-culture and Japanese lore, the artist takes inspiration from the famous terminator movies. Consisting of only the Geisha’s head, her hair, tied in a traditional bun, is dark with light shades of white.
The tattoo boasts impressive linework in monochromatic fashion as one-half of the face lifts open to reveal the electronic innards of the Geisha. The eyes of the animatronic head stare towards the outside soullessly as the viewer sees the creative yet horrifying sight of the Geisha. The tattoo, made on the arm of the customer, symbolizes deceit and disbelief in what lies on the surface.
2. The Gazing Geisha
The gazing geisha is an amazing tattoo that is, simple yet detailed and cunning yet elegant. Stretching from the shoulder to the elbow, the tattoo shows a geisha holding a traditional Japanese umbrella and fan staring mesmerizingly into the distance.
The artist gives a paintbrush like feel to the tattoo using watercolor to breathe life into the vivid scene. The viewer can see the half-portrait of the woman as she walks through a garden with lilies and clouds making way for her to pass. While the artist has left its meaning to interpretation, the tattoo is stunningly gorgeous to look at.
3. The Beautiful Assassin
Inspired by the final adversary of the protagonist in the movie Kill Bill Volume 1, the artist creates a scene of a geisha equipped with a sword.
Sporting the traditional kimono dress along with a historically accurate katana, the woman also bears tattoos that run between both of her exposed shoulders to the neck. The artist shows the woman with minor cuts on her face and blood dripping from the katana all while set in a monochrome finish.
The tattoo is a half body portrait and it is a symbol of female empowerment.
4. Anime Art
The visual form of Japanese art, anime, is quite famous throughout the world thanks to its unique art style. The tattoo features an anime geisha with extremely detailed hair through linework that holds many flowers and accessories.
Another half body portrait, the geisha sports the traditional kimono dress along with traditional hairstyle. The artist gives the scene a gloomy feel with its dull dark colors. While the scene has no exact symbolism, it is up to the viewer’s interpretation.
5. Fleeting Geisha Tattoo
A full body tattoo, the fleeting geisha is a unique tattoo with a powerful message. The tattoo shows a well-dressed geisha in traditional garb fleeting through a dark and grim scene.
As the geisha runs, in the background viewers can see the thick clouds slowly exposing the moon, while giving little to no light to the thick forest that surrounds her. The scene symbolizes escape from the norm and mediocrity.
The artist shows this through the dull monochromic blackwork background that surrounds the geisha sporting bright, colors filled with watercolor tattoo method. The fleeting geisha holds a powerful message of rising from the confines of mediocrity.
6. The Glow in the Dark
A remarkable work of art, the tattoo shows off a beautiful scene of a geisha standing in the dark. A face portrait, the style, and design yet very simple holds great detail as a firefly partially illuminates the beautiful woman’s face to unfold the traditional Japanese makeup and large gleaming eyes.
Colored in blue, one of the eyes shine from the light of the firefly, whereas the other eye has a glimmer of dark and dull blue color. The artist highlights the entire scene under a lime green hue, making the tattoo very eye-catching.
7. One with Nature
While this tattoo is another face portrait, it is quite different in its representation and its symbolism. The artist shows a geisha with the signature hairstyle and garb that peaks out just below the neck. The tattoo shows a geisha with a face made of vines and hair made of branches while flowers and leaves are blooming out of those branches.
With bright green and deep brown colors, the artist shows immense natural beauty. The artist also shows the geisha’s face slowly dying as the plants and flowers are slowly withering away. The scene holds great symbolic meaning to conserve the natural environment and protect it.
8. Silenced
A tattoo with a powerful message, the artist creates a half body portrait of a gorgeous geisha with unusual traits. While her garb and accessories are bright and colorful and she wears the traditional makeup, tears are flowing from her eyes as the woman has her mouth sewn shut.
Through the slight red blood flowing from her wounds, she offers a welcoming smile to her viewers. The tattoo symbolizes oppression and inequality in genders as she is not allowed to speak, she is a statue left to adore and for people to praise.
9. Simplicity Is Key
While there are many artists who have produced amazing scenes, sometimes it is the simplest of styles that are the most stunning. The tattoo shows a young geisha dressed in traditional Japanese garb along with traditional make-up and hairstyle.
Her face is pale with dark hazelnut eyes and red lipstick. The colors come to life through the impressive combination of line work and dot work, along with some watercolor. The woman blushes as bright pink petals and flowers fall on her bright green dress while holding a Japanese orange fan that has a replica of the Hokusai wave drawn on it.
10. Injured Geisha Tattoo
One of the more picturesque views the tattoo shows a geisha cleaning her wounds along a river. Through the detailed balckwork of the artist, you can see how the geisha cleans the blood from her wounds while sitting at the river across the temple.
Her katana lies beside her as the many flowers fall from the trees above her, all within a monochromic setting. As the woman cleans her wounds on the side of the peacock accompanies her and provides shade with its feathers.
Although it has no color, the scene is capable of telling time and season all through the tiny details within the scene.
11. Feathered Geisha Tattoo
The artist shows a young woman holding an umbrella as she walks ahead while peaking back. She boasts the traditional makeup and dress all while her umbrella shelters her from the snow. Her beautiful dress leaves behind a trail of feathers from her sleeves, disguised as wings, while her long hair touches the obi (sash) of her dress.
The picture while being rather black and white holds some shadows of different colors on the lines of her dress as well as her umbrella.
12. Indifferent Geisha Tattoos
A full body portrait intended to be on the back of a person, the indifferent is a tattoo that holds great metaphorical meaning. The tattoo shows a young bright geisha as she stands in a gray town with not another soul to see.
She is wearing an oversized signature dress, accompanied by the hair and makeup. The artist shows her holding an umbrella under what is a clear sky with no clouds and a bright sun. The tattoo symbolizes how society creates norms and people who stray away from these norms are outcasts.
The artist shows this message through the beautiful and rich color grading of the black monochrome town and the only thing bright and colorful is the young child standing under the umbrella, while her oversized dress outside the umbrella also shares the same color as the town.
13. The Sun
Since many consider tattoos art, artists and customers express themselves through the meaning that the tattoo holds. This tattoo shows a beautiful geisha as she holds a child in her hand sheltering it from the dark and dimly lit forest.
The sun shines upon the woman and the baby revealing scratches and bruises all over the woman yet the baby is perfectly fine. Through intense blackwork, the artist tells a story of love unmatched by any other relation through slight red and orange colors, and while the sun shines on the woman and her child, they are shrouded in complete darkness.
14. Beautiful Yet Deadly
Inspired by the fictional character Kitana from the Mortal Kombat game, the artist dawns a new setting and garb for the character. As she holds her signature fan blades vertically while covering her face, she also wears traditional geisha dress while standing under a sakura tree while her emerald green eyes stare at the viewer.
The artist takes a more anime approach towards the character, adding different vibrant colors as she stands elegantly beneath the tree sporting a dress with a similar color scheme to her original dress. The tattoo symbolizes beauty but not at the cost of deadliness, and shows off woman empowerment.
15. The Geisha and Her Fan
A very simple design and style, the artist is straight to the point in this tattoo boasting minimalism and elegance. A face portrait at the arm of the customer shows a woman dressed in geisha’s original garb and makeup accompanied by her accessories.
She looks off into the distance with her pale face and large eyes while her fan covers her neck till her chin. The fan holds the name of the customer in Japanese along with clouds in a bright blue sky. The artist puts great detail into the line work as well as the water-coloring of the tattoo that adds another layer of detail to the finished product.
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16. Deception
Made in traditional Japanese tattoo style, this geisha tattoo is simply stunning to look at. Her signature dress accompanied by her traditional hairstyle and makeup may give a welcoming presence. However, her ruby eyes coupled with the katana that she is holding tell a different story.
Her threatening gaze yet humbly welcoming posture is quite deceitful, adding to her humble nature is the light red and blooming gray lilies on her robe with a fan that covers her face till her eyes are barely peeking from it.
17. Natural Beauty
Due to the pressing issue of global warming and deforestation, this tattoo shows off the natural beauty as well as the beauty of a young geisha without her makeup.
The tattoo shows a woman staring off into the distance as her accessories are slowly falling off. Multiple flowers and branches surround the woman who is standing in the garden. The artist uses intricate linework and boasts impressive realism, yet a traditional feel of the overall tattoo, some colored with watercolors and some with regular ink. 
18. Geisha and Her Long Hair
While quite a simplistic concept, the geisha combing her hair holds much greater metaphorical meaning. The young woman’s hair is not actually hair it is a mat with eyes on it.
This is the most metaphorically deep tattoo of all. The matt that holds the eyes symbolizes the expectations that people have of her while she sports traditional dress without the makeup.
Although these are some of the most famous styles and ideas that artists have displayed throughout the years, there are many more out there. Moreover, you should always choose a tattoo based on different things such as meaning, style, and most importantly trends.
You can find many designs at the tattoo artist’s studio. In conclusion, while these are famous tattoos, be sure to choose your geisha tattoos carefully.
