Three encounters that changed his life: meeting his life partner Fabi, as well as personally knowing masters like Gotch and Gakkin. Cody’s life from BC is a journey full of emotions.
Hi Cody, I saw that your bookings are closed for the rest of 2025. Is it always great news for a tattoo artist, to be appreciated and requested by so many clients, right?
Yes, I’ve been fortunate to welcome clients from all over North America to our studio in Kelowna, in British Columbia (IG@nsitattoo). Most of them come with just a central theme in mind and leave the creative direction up to me. Their trust and openness mean a lot.
How did you understand that Japanese style was your strong point and the best way to express yourself?
I lived and worked as an ESL (English as a Second Language) instructor in Uji, Kyoto from 2009 to 2011 and during that time, I fell in love with ukiyo-e and traditional wood block prints. I spent a lot of time studying the works of artists, like Kyosai, Hokusai and Kuniyoshi through books I borrowed from a library in Kyoto. I started recreating Kyosai’s work with sumi inks and water colour paints. Later, I realized how deeply Japanese tattooing was influenced by the same artists and printmakers I had been drawn to.
When did everything change for you?
Getting my first tattoos at Harizanmai in Kyoto was a turning point in my life. Seeing the incredible works of Gotch (IG: @gotch_tattoo) and Gakkin (IG: @gakkinx) in person was incredibly inspiring. I was fortunate to receive some large-scale pieces from Gakkin, and during that time, something clicked and I knew I wanted to be a tattooer too. I didn’t know much back then or whether Japanese style would be my strength; it was simply the style that inspired me to start tattooing in the first place.
How do you think your artwork was born? I imagine it’s rooted in the Japanese tradition of subjects, but then something uniquely yours — “made in Cody Philpott” — comes through…
You know, I’ve never really thought about that before. I don’t intentionally try to put my own stamp on Japanese tattooing. I just follow the parts of the tradition that resonate with me and developed a few of my own approaches along the way.
Maybe that makes my work feel less Traditional Japanese and more personal, but it’s not something I set out to do. It just happened naturally over time.
I always imagined your ‘NSI/North Shore Ink’ private tattoo studio in Kelowna (British Columbia) as something magical and enchanting because of the historic setting of Okanagan Lake. Is that correct?
Yes, the Okanagan is a magical place with a lot of history. Our studio (IG: @ nsitattoo) is perched at the top of a mountain, offering panoramic views of Okanagan Lake, the city of Kelowna and the mountains that surround them. It’s a peaceful, relaxing space to work and get tattooed. Our clients often describe it as a retreat where they can decompress from life in more hectic urban settings. And sunsets from the studio are something else, they never get old…
If you had a time machine, do you think you would use it?
Yeah, I probably would. I’ve always been drawn to the vibe of the 1970s, especially the skate and surf culture from that time. But I’m also happy to be living in the present.
If I could meet anyone from history, it would be Kawanabe Kyosai from the Edo period.
He was known as a wild painter and was even imprisoned for creating artwork that criticized the government. A true rebel artist.
Yours is not only a beautiful artistic story, but also a beautiful story of love feelings because of your partner Fabi Hiromi who is a tattoo artist too…
Yes, that’s true. My relationship with Fabi has definitely been the highlight of my life. We started our tattoo careers around the same time but in very different ways and on opposite ends of the world.
We started chatting online back in 2016 and ended up talking every day for about six months. Eventually, we decided to meet in Mexico, about halfway between where I was in Canada and where she was in Brazil. After seven amazing days together, we both felt the connection was real.
So when she asked me, “What’s next after Mexico?” I got down on one knee and proposed right then and there. A lot of people thought I was crazy for doing that so fast, but honestly, I knew I’d have to be crazy not to want to spend my life with Fabi.
And your last famous words are… ?
Follow your heart.
