Rimini Embraces Anime & Manga Culture with First Dedicated Tattoo Studio
A burgeoning anime and manga scene is taking hold in Rimini, Italy, with the recent opening of Hokkaidoink, a tattoo studio specializing in Japanese-inspired designs. The studio caters to a growing community of enthusiasts and reflects the city’s increasing embrace of Japanese pop culture.
A wave of interest in anime and manga is sweeping through Rimini. Following the success of an anime-themed bar in the Cantinette area, Hokkaidoink, located on Viale Tripoli, is now offering a unique artistic outlet for fans. The studio is the brainchild of Giulia Rebeggiani, known as Mao, and her partner, Giovanni Mancini, who goes by J.ink.
“We inaugurated three years ago, in full post-Covid recovery, but we only made the ‘anime and manga’ turning point this year, following our passion,” Rebeggiani explained. She relocated from Imola to Rimini to pursue both her professional and personal aspirations. “Having both this passion, we decided to try to convey it in our work and to give voice to that niche of lovers of the Japanese world who often struggle to express themselves,” she continued. “On the other hand, how could we not try in the city that hosts Rimini Comics?”
The pair, aged 32 and 34 respectively, position Hokkaidoink as the “first and only studio of this kind in Rimini, which reflects our passion for comics and anime.” The studio’s name itself is a testament to their shared love for Japan. “Hokkaidō is the area of Japan that I prefer, Okinawa is the one loved by Giovanni; we thus merged the two names,” Rebeggiani shared.
Rebeggiani, a tattoo artist with nine years of experience, has dedicated the last five years to specializing in anime and manga techniques. She has honed her skills through specialized courses and masterclasses, striving to accurately translate the aesthetic into her artwork. “We wanted to enter this niche because our passion is so immense that we would like to pass it on to everyone,” the artists revealed. “This is why we try to push it through collaborations that we continue to seek – we nerds are a big family, much larger than you might think.”
The studio has already encountered some memorable requests. Rebeggiani recounted a particularly unusual experience: “Once an American asked me to do a tattoo dedicated to his ex-girlfriend – the strangest thing is that she accompanied him: while he was getting the tattoo, she was next to him.” Hokkaidoink also attracts a diverse clientele, including tourists from Switzerland, Germany, and Northern Italy, alongside local residents.
Rebeggiani’s decision to establish the studio in Rimini was driven by a personal connection. “I came here for the first time when I was 17, on holiday with my friends. I fell in love with it right away,” she said. “There were, obviously, also economic reasons: in the summer, Rimini offers you a very wide range of customers. We would make this choice a thousand times again.”
