Miami Ink Yoji Harada Dies a Day After Lyle Tuttle. Are Tattooists Cursed?

Tommy Montoya, tattoo artist, posted on his Instagram “I have lost another friend!! So very sad. RIP Harada. I will miss you.” This post was in regards to the Japanese star of “Miami Ink” Yoji Harada who died on March 26, 2019, at age 46. The cause of death is unknown.

The post right above this one on Montoya’s page was about the trailblazer tattoo artist Lyle Tuttle, tributing the man who died on March 25, 2019, at 72 years old.

Yojiro “Yoji” Harada was born in Tokyo, Japan on Aug. 6th, 1972. Harada married his first wife Bonnie Minkus in 1996 and divorced in 2003.

His second wife, known merely as Bridgette, he was married from 2005-2009.

In 2007 Harada said in a People interview that his children would not be permitted to get a tattoo. Harada has one daughter Sydney born in 2005.

Harada originally wanted to be an actor before he chose his life path as a tattoo artist. He appeared in “Suicide Club,” a Japanese film released in 2001. The movie had a death theme, dealing with a detective investigating multiple suicides which were rampant throughout Japan.

Harada’s first tattoo was when he was 19 and inked his body the name of his girlfriend. Moving to Miami after residing in New York and gigging with the band “Big Deal,” he apprenticed under Ami James for five years.

While working at Love-Hate Tattoos, he was chosen to appear in “Miami Ink,” and it thrust him into the spotlight making him famous in the United States, and Japan.

Harada also started a clothing line for children with Darren Brass, also from “Miami Ink.” “Ruthless & Toothless” clothing was established after the two became parents.

Two legendary tattoo artists die with a day of each other. The tattoo world mourns, and one thinks that things come in threes and who is next.

Written by Barbara Sobel

Sources:

Heavy: Yoji Harada Dead: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
Global Intel: Yoji Harada Bio, Wiki, Age, Wife, Daughter (Sydney), Divorce, Cause of Death, Net Worth, Miami Ink, Japanese tattoo artist
Guardian Liberty Voice: Yoji Harada “Miami Ink” Star Is the Second Tattooist to Die in 2 Days

Featured and Top Image Courtesy of YouTube/Lucky Clover Tattoo/Instagram – Creative Commons License