Best Japanese tattoo shops in California.

Shops are ordered by a Bayesian-adjusted rating: (n × rating + 348 × 4.79) ÷ (n + 348), where n is the shop's Google review count, 348 is the median review count across the directory and 4.79 is the directory-wide mean rating. A thin review count pulls a shop toward the average, so a 5.0 from thirty reviews does not outrank a 4.9 from six hundred. Ties go to the shop with more reviews.

The full list includes every Japanese tattoo shop in California that lists Japanese and irezumi-style tattooing among its styles and has at least 25 Google reviews, one listing per street address. The highly rated picks additionally need a raw rating of 4.5 or better. The rating shown is the raw Google rating and review count — the adjusted score only decides the order. Nobody paid for a place and nothing is hand-picked; the list cannot tell you about artist skill, hygiene or price. Read the full methodology.