traditional japanese reference

So lately I've become obsessed with traditional Japanese tattoos. Unfortunately my mentor as much as I love and respect him was not very knowledgeable on the subject. I've done research on Japanese work but I don't feel like I'm understanding everything. There's so much to learn it's like a whole mother entity or language. The artists I try to network with seem very hush when it comes to asking them questions and figuring this beautiful art out. I was wondering if anyone knew a good place for me to start. Where do I begin learning this art. (no I cannot got to Japan and learn from a master lol) Cole Gridley- instagram: @colegridley