For many, becoming a celebrity means living a more fast-paced and eventful life, but the same cannot be said for
Yojiro “Yoji” Harada, a featured tattoo artist on TLC's
Miami Ink. Being stopped in the streets by fans desperate for an autograph has not made Harada more desirous of fame. In fact, he often shies away from the attention.
“Before he met me, he partied every night,” Bridget, Harada's wife, told AAJA Voices. “Now, he would prefer to stay home. A typical family night is going to get sushi, renting a Blockbuster movie, or going to the beach with [our daughter] Sidney. He likes to keep it simple.”
Yoji Harada, known for his apprenticeship on
Miami Ink, said that he has tried to hold on to the lifestyle he had prior to appearing on the popular reality series.
“I'm more focused now and I stayed humble,” Harada said. “I do need to get a new car, though. Our '91 Buick is falling apart.”
Before Harada achieved his celebrity status, he was living in New York, trying hard to make a name for himself in the music industry. While recording his band's CD, he sought refuge at a friend's house, sleeping on the couch. He met
Ami James, co-owner of the tattoo shop featured in
Miami Ink, at a tattoo parlor in New York. James offered Harada a spot on the show's pilot in order to help him and Bridget, who was pregnant at the time.
“If anything ever happens, he's there for me,” Harada said of James. “All the guys on the show are good friends. I love all the guys and I have a lot of respect for each of them.”
Starting off as an apprentice in
Miami Ink meant being the shop's errand boy, carrying out such duties as maintaining cleanliness, sanitizing tools, welcoming clients and answering phone calls. When the time came for him to tattoo someone for the series, he decided to ink his best friend.
“I was so nervous,” Yoji Harada said of his on-camera tattoo job. “My hands were shaking because it was hard to concentrate with three cameras all around you. It turned out really bad.”
As he continues to hone his tattoo skills in
Miami Ink, Harada only has one golden rule when it comes to tattoo ideas.
“Tattooing your girlfriend's name is bad luck,” he said. “Every time I've tattooed a girlfriend's name on me, the relationship has failed. Bridget doesn't have any tattoos. She's smart — that's why I married her.”
Although tattooing is now one of his greatest passions, Harada still devotes time to developing his music career. The rock band Big Deal, for which Harada plays guitar, just finished making its first record.
“I feel bad for spending so much time in New York producing the record when I could be in the shop practicing tattoos,” he told AAJA voices. “On the weekends, though, I will spend 12 hours in the studio practicing my music if I can.”
-Lisa Claustro, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: AAJA Voices
(Image Courtesy of TLC)