Tattoos in Japan
If you have made your way out to Japan any time in the last century, you may have noticed that tattoos are not welcome in onsens, swimming pools, or even in workout facilities. In some rural areas of these islands, shop owners may even ask you to leave if they see your tattoos. While it may seem really restrictive and odd, there are actually really good reasons why the Japanese historically have had issues with ink.
Historically, tattoos have been linked with the infamous Yakuza, the Japanese mafia. As of late, tattoos are also accepted as a form of fashion and many young people have been getting inked up, but Japanese culture as a whole does not distinguish between Yakuza-related art and fashion-tattoo art. The older generations still disapprove of tattoo culture. This means that you still cannot go to water parks, private gyms, or onsens (spas). You might get some disapproving stares at remote beaches as well.
History of Tattoos
Ancient Chinese practices used tattoos to mark convicted of various crimes. Despite this barbaric practice to the west, Japan’s tattoo culture flourished into a beautiful art form, with traditional tattooing covering over 50% of the persons body. However, because the neighboring giant was using physical marking to distinguish criminals, the Japanese government condemned the art form and banned tattooing. This was done to try and distinguish the Japanese prevent confusion. The Yakuza date back to the early 1600’s, and traditionally have full body tattoos called Irezumi. Despite the ban on tattoos, they continued to use them to mark their place in their hierarchy. While the Yakuza technically aren’t an illegal organization, which is probably due to their extended reach in politics, among other industries, they did in fact largely ignore Japanese tattoo law. While these groups of organized crime function with ease in and around Japan, they still are regarded reservedly.  It’s pretty hard to erase hundreds of years of stigma related to tattooing.
The good news for us westerners is that a lot of places are more understanding that the ‘gaijins’ don’t have the same tattoo culture so prominent in Japan. If you have a small tattoo, you can more than likely get away with using an onsen or swimming pool, as long as it is discreet or easily covered up. You might get a few weird looks for not getting in the water in the nude, but hey, who’s really going to tell you to take off your clothing?
I’m starting to plan out the next leg of my adventure. Stay tuned by following my blog! Put your email in below and I’ll send you updates as I country-hop! (No spam, ever, I pinkie promise)
