From Israel to Germany to Japan, tattoo artist Nitzan Dor (@nitzandor_tattoo) has travelled the world honing her unique style. When she’s not tattooing anime characters on to her clients’ skin, she’s still immersed in the world of anime and manga – watching and reading. That’s when she’s not learning Japanese, that is. Currently working at tattoo Studio Yamada (TSY) in Tokyo, here she tells us about her journey…
How long have you been tattooing? What made you want to become a tattooer?
I’ve been tattooing for about four and a half years, but I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. Art has always been a big part of my life. My family has tattoos, and one of my earliest memories connected to tattooing is from when I was around seven or eight years old, when my father invited a tattoo artist to our home to tattoo my parents. I remember being completely fascinated by the process.
As I grew older, many of the artists and public figures I admired also had tattoos and my curiosity only grew. I got my first tattoo at 18 and from that moment on, I never stopped getting tattooed.
The decision to become a tattoo artist came later, during the Covid period. I was already deeply inspired by the tattoo world through social media. I just really loved the idea that art could become something permanent on someone’s body – something meaningful that stays with both the client and the artist forever.
How did you learn? Did you do an apprenticeship? Talk us through how you got into the industry.
Around five years ago, I left my job and started learning how to tattoo. I took a three-month tattoo course in Israel at a studio called DYO, where I learned the technical foundations and practiced every single day. From the moment I started the course, I knew I was going to give it 100% of myself. I fell in love with tattooing immediately.
After completing the course, I began working at a well-known and large studio in Israel called GIDA, where I continued to learn, refine my skills and grow professionally for a full year.
How have you honed your style? What drew you to this?
From the very beginning, both during my course and later while working at GIDA, I knew that I wanted to focus on anime and manga inspired tattooing. I grew up watching anime – shows like Sailor Moon and Pokémon were part of my childhood and I fell in love with that world, its visual language and the emotions it made me feel.
The main reason why I chose this style is the strong emotional connection I felt to the characters and stories. Tattooing a character I personally connect with feels incredibly meaningful and fun to me. It also creates a special bond between me and my client. It feels like a small community – like obsessing over something together with friends. It’s exciting and genuinely so fun!
At the time, anime and manga tattooing was still a developing niche, with very few artists working in the way I envisioned. That pushed me to shape my own voice within the style. Manga art, especially its shading, fine details, strong contrast and expressive faces, continues to deeply influence how I design and tattoo today.
Why does this translate so well into tattoos?
I believe that anime and manga, contrary to what many people think, can hold very deep emotions and powerful stories. What makes them so special is the wide range of genres –from slice of life and comedy to horror, fantasy, drama and action. There is truly something for everyone.
Because of that, almost everyone can find a character they personally connect with. Even when people watch the same series, they often relate to completely different characters, and I find that really beautiful.
This personal connection is exactly why anime and manga translate so powerfully into tattoos. They become symbols of emotions, memories, growth, and identity, carried permanently on the body.
What’s been your favourite place in the world to tattoo?
After leaving GIDA, I tattooed from my home studio for about six months while travelling across Europe in search of my next studio. During that journey, I guest spotted over 10 different tattoo studios and, eventually, I decided to move to Hamburg, Germany, where I worked and tattooed for two years.
In terms of comfort, feeling at home, the energy of the clients, and the studio itself, the space, facilities, and everything it offered, Hood7 in Hamburg became one of my favourite places to tattoo. That feeling is exactly why I chose to move there.
My clients in Hamburg are really close to my heart. They are all so kind and amazing, and over time I built a client base that I truly love and appreciate. My corner in the studio feels like home, and even now, I still return there every few months to tattoo my clients again.
Tell us about your travels? How did the tattoo scene in other countries compare? What have you taken away from other studios and artists?
Since my very first guest spot, I realised how meaningful it is to travel and tattoo in different places around the world. I followed artists I admired, visited studios that interested me, and travelled to meet new people, build client bases, and create real connections within the global tattoo community.
Along the way, I suddenly found myself with friends all over the world. I learned so much from the artists I met, and I was always amazed by how people from completely different backgrounds can feel so different yet so similar. Building deep connections across cultures is one of the most beautiful parts of tattooing for me.
The tattoo scene changes from place to place and even more from artist to artist and studio to studio. Seeing so many different environments helped me understand what truly matters to me and what kind of studio atmosphere I want to grow in.
Today, I work in a place where creativity, motivation, and constant development are at the centre. Everyone works incredibly hard and that energy pushes me to keep evolving. It’s truly inspiring.
Do you think the tattoo world is shifting? What has your experience, as a woman, been like?
I truly feel that the tattoo world is constantly growing and evolving, and in many positive ways I see more artists coming from different creative backgrounds and creating unique, beautiful work.
As a woman in this industry, my journey has had its challenges. When I first started, it often felt like a male-dominated field, especially in management roles. There were moments where I didn’t always feel seen as an equal, and I felt I needed to work harder to be taken seriously.
Today it really depends on the studio and the people. One experience that stayed with me was my first guest spot at a women-run studio in London (EXP Studio). For the first time, I felt I didn’t need to be on guard to be respected. The atmosphere was professional, warm, and genuinely comfortable.
Today, I feel grounded and secure in myself. I’ve built strong relationships with both women and men in the industry and I’m grateful to work with people who care about the art and the person above all else. That mindset is very important to me.
You recently won an award, how did this feel?
I took part in the Tokyo Bay Tattoo Convention in Japan, which was the very first tattoo convention I ever worked at. Just being able to participate in the convention as part of Tattoo Studio Yamada already felt like a huge honour for me!
On the third day of the convention, I entered the ‘Best of the Day’ competition, where all the tattoos done that day were presented and judged, and I won third place!
It was an incredible honour! There were so many amazing artists participating in the convention, many of whom have been tattooing for far longer than I have and I deeply respect them. Winning in that environment felt truly emotional and very special. I was proud to bring honour to my studio, and I was deeply happy that my work was seen and appreciated.
The tattoo that won the award was a design of two hearts, with two panels from the manga NANA inside them, which is also one of my favourite mangas!
What do you like to do when you’re not tattooing?
When I’m not tattooing, I still love spending time immersed in the worlds of anime and manga, watching and reading whenever I can. At the moment, a big part of my life outside the studio is also studying Japanese. I’ve been living in Japan for about a year and three months, and I’m still actively learning the language.
In addition to that, I really enjoy cooking and baking, drawing for myself, and listening to music.
What’s been your proudest moment so far?
One of the most meaningful and proud moments in my career has been building deep connections with my clients, especially after moving countries more than once. Each time I moved to a new place where no one knew me, I had to rebuild everything from zero.
When you move to a new country, there is often a long period where your schedule is almost empty. Even when I was fully booked in Israel, after moving to Germany and later to Japan, it took about a year each time for my bookings to truly stabilise again.
These experiences constantly remind me that nothing is guaranteed and that hard work is always necessary. And then, when clients finally start coming – excited and happy with their tattoos – that feeling is incredibly meaningful.
Some of the most emotional moments for me are when clients come because they’ve been following my work for a long time and dreamed of being tattooed by me.
Do you prefer custom or flash designs?
I don’t strongly prefer one over the other. Designing a tattoo together with a client can be very meaningful. Sometimes clients bring requests from anime or manga that I’m not familiar with, which opens a new world for me and often turns into a recommendation for my own watch list.
How can people get tattooed by you?
There are two main ways to book a session with me: through my booking form or via Instagram DM. I usually ask clients to share which anime or manga the idea is from, send reference images, and let me know the placement and size of the tattoo. From there, we continue discussing the design through DM and confirming the final details.
I recommend reaching out two to three months in advance to secure a spot for a preferred date. I also regularly update my availability through my Instagram stories.
Thank you Nitzan for chatting to us and being part of Things & Ink! Follow Nitzan on Instagram to see more tattoos and get booked in.
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