DAKINITATTOO

est. 2012



a PRIVATE &
woman-operated TATTOO STUDIO
in south philadelphia

by appointment only


12th & snyder ave

MISSION STATEMENT

Currently brain storming…

  • help my clients bring their idea together with time and patience even when the design needs to be put together meticulously to specification

  • provide a non-intimidating, quiet, safe, friendly and comfortable environment

I’ll come back with my thoughts later!

what is DAKINI?

Dakini is synonymous with Yogini. She was to an elderly woman from Kashmir who achieved enlightenment at the age of 61, becoming a meditation master under the guidance of Birwapa. She became young, emitting light, rose to the sky and remained there for 7 days.

From this story a Dakini represents a female practitioner who has attained a certain level of enlightenment through meditation practice.

She is often referred to as the 'sky-walker,' a guide who carries the souls of the dead to the heavens.

There is a tale of a wrathful lion-headed dakini. She tore out the heart of a human to consume it. However, after encountering and learning the Dharma, she transformed and changed her ways, embracing wisdom and compassion instead of violence.

Thus she may appear as wrathful, as a consort like Kali, Shakti paired with Shiva, or as a figure dancing.

Tantra teaches the principle of non-duality, where every woman is regarded as a Dakini—an immaculate and captivating embodiment of wisdom. She represents the perfect expression of divine femininity and complements the Yogin, the divine masculinity. Together, they embody the transcendence of the perceived division between feminine and masculine energies, illustrating the potential for achieving balance through the unification of consciousness as a whole.

Well, the tattoo industry, before the rise of TV shows, was somewhat of a sausage party. That’s what prompted me to adopt the name Dakini.

THE STUDIO

Because of my ADHD, I tend to rearrange furniture quite often. The space is pretty simple and was originally inspired by a “school art room”. There's also an extra recliner bed here, perfect if your guest wants to take a nap while they wait.

feel free to watch your shows, games and what have you. only request is if you can use a ear buds or head phone. I usually play random selection of music. it could be D&B, classical, jazz or metal depending on the day.

I enjoy chit-chat as well! As a self-proclaimed 'professional street shrink' (my side hustle, lol), feel free to share your thoughts, whether it's a trauma dump or some juicy gossip.

about masami

Greetings,

I’m Masami, the artist and owner of Dakin Tattoo in South Philly. What began as a shared creative space among friends has since evolved into a private, one-on-one studio.


I grew up in Japan and came to the U.S. in 1996 to study technology management in college. I was 18, figuring out American college life with limited English. I met a boy at a punk show at The Rathskeller. He became my boyfriend, and we shared a formative time — underage drinking, punk shows, and looking for something to do on the weekends.

When I mentioned the idea of becoming a tattoo artist, he said, “You should do what you want in your life.” It was a foreign idea to me. I had been following a path—thoughtfully laid out by my parents, in a way that felt very typical of an Asian upbringing. Their guidance was well-meaning and genuinely beneficial, but it didn’t feel entirely authentic to who I was or what I wanted to experience.


I eventually left college and went on to study sculpture at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. It took two years after graduation to find an apprenticeship opportunity, and another two years of apprenticing before I began tattooing.

This was back when most newcomers had no idea where to even buy a tattoo machine—unless you were working in a shop. Some machine builders would even call the shop directly just to verify that you were legit. Pre-internet banking, pre-Amazon Prime days (笑).

I’m forever grateful to my old boss for giving me that opportunity and letting me work under him for nearly ten years. I never got to thank him properly, so here it is—it was one of my favorite times to remember

Outside of art, my passion over the past four decades has been exploring books and ideas that delve into human psychology, our collective consciousness and unconscious—not through a scientific lens, but through the perspectives of artists and storytellers. It’s a layman’s approach, shaped by curiosity more than theory.

This interest began gradually and traces back to seventh grade, when I borrowed a book from my grandfather titled 「人間であるということ」 ("What It Means to Be Human"). https://tinyurl.com/yc6y7fn4.

My journey into metaphysics began in fourth grade, when I joined a summer meditation group led by monks at a Zen temple. Growing up, Zen teachings were never in short supply—five of my classmates came from temple families.

An unexpected turn came through my fascination with Christianity, sparked by monthly Jehovah’s Witness publications delivered by a family friend.

At fourteen, I developed a deep connection to Tibetan Buddhism when my best friend’s grandfather—a respected monk—invited us on a pilgrimage to India and Bhutan. It was there I first encountered the teachings of tantra.

Over time, I explored ideas of hell, reincarnation, and faith, and how they relate to physical reality. I examined the nature of God and gods—until those concepts finally began to make sense to me.


Along this journey—especially in the pre-YouTube era—I read everything I could get my hands on: classical literature, NYT bestsellers from Borders, religious texts, ancient history, early conspiracy theories, philosophy, psychology (shoutout to Carl Jung!), light explorations into physics, metaphysics, esoteric teachings, and occult history.

Later on, plant medicine became a guide, helping me recognize human archetypes woven through books and stories. Now that I feel I’ve gathered enough samplings, I’m working on a book/art project as a form of self-expression—and honestly, just for the joy of it.

Masami Philadelphia tattoo artist
Masami Philadelphia tattoo artist
Masami Philadelphia tattoo artist