Politics and tattooing in Japan .

[kylegrey]

In Japan, Tattoos Are Not Just For Yakuza Anymore : Japan Subculture Research Center

[tammy]

great article but it took me awhile to get past the feminine booty

[Dan S]

great article but it took me awhile to get past the feminine booty

Yeah, me too! Had to really study on that before I could move on.

C'mon...it's like Sam Kinnison said, "how can anyone fall in love with a guys hairy, smelly, -------?

[CaptCanada]

Yeah just for all y'all information.... that's a dude.

[RoryQ]

Jake Adelstein, one of the authors of the article, wrote a pretty good book called 'Tokyo Vice' on his time as a crime beat reporter for the Daily Yomiuri ... (just recognised the name)

To be honest, as I've gotten progressively more tattooed each time I visit Japan the more I find myself opting to cover up. People sometimes say 'times are changing' and imply that attitudes are softening but from what I can see it is still a scenario where it is just easier to cover up, rather than get turned away from a nice restaurant or bar. It might not be 'fair', but when in Rome... Unless you are hanging in a really bohemian environment for your whole trip it feels like the path of least resistance to don long sleeves and whatnot.

That said, I guess CaptCanada is the man best placed to give us the inside scoop.

[CaptCanada]

I really couldn't have said it any better than you did. Most Japanese and foreigners that I know cover up their tattoos while they are off work. While working I can count on one hand the number of times I saw a staff member with uncovered tattoos.

[reverend1]

That's very interesting, I wonder if they will ever embrace their tattoo tradition. It's the most beautiful. style of tattooing there is IMO.

[Graeme]

Interesting article. I find the notion that one of the reasons tattoos are banned in public spaces is because they make people feel awkward to be really fascinating because it's so different than how we perceive things in the West.

[Brock Varty]

That's very interesting, I wonder if they will ever embrace their tattoo tradition. It's the most beautiful. style of tattooing there is IMO.

This.

Japan is home of an incredibly powerful and beautiful tattoo art tradition. I find it strange that a culture with such a rich history of tattoo art does not embrace it.

[hogg]

Haha...I saw that article a few weeks back and left a few comments to point out errors in it. The author was pretty open to them, though.

[slayer9019]

Interesting article. I find the notion that one of the reasons tattoos are banned in public spaces is because they make people feel awkward to be really fascinating because it's so different than how we perceive things in the West.

To me it doesn't seem all that different when you get down to it. The reason I can't show up to work tomorrow with some hand tattoos is due to people feeling uncomfortable with me. It would not effect my performance one bit, but everyone around me would "feel awkward". I just think that they call it how it is in regards to why they want to ban it.

[Graeme]

To me it doesn't seem all that different when you get down to it. The reason I can't show up to work tomorrow with some hand tattoos is due to people feeling uncomfortable with me. It would not effect my performance one bit, but everyone around me would "feel awkward". I just think that they call it how it is in regards to why they want to ban it.

Put that way, yeah you're right though nobody here would articulate it as being "awkward".

[MadeIndelible]

This.

Japan is home of an incredibly powerful and beautiful tattoo art tradition. I find it strange that a culture with such a rich history of tattoo art does not embrace it.

It's not that strange if you take into consideration that Japan also has a rich history of public politeness and formality, and the fact that Japanese tattoos have a seedy background. Not to mention, Japanese horishi and tattooed people themselves don't really want information about their underground culture to leak into the mainstream, for the most part anyway.

[Brock Varty]

It's not that strange if you take into consideration that Japan also has a rich history of public politeness and formality, and the fact that Japanese tattoos have a seedy background. Not to mention, Japanese horishi and tattooed people themselves don't really want information about their underground culture to leak into the mainstream, for the most part anyway.

I may have overlooked a few facts. When you think about all of that, it makes sense.

[taaarro]

I found it hard to get passed the poor writing style and journalism... "Kicking it off was the Mayor of Osaka, the son of a yakuza boss, who as most yakuza are, was probably heavily tattooed"???

My experience has been that almost all "public baths" allow tattooed people since they are "public." There are still many apartments here without baths/showers and the people who live in them depend on public baths. It's inconvenient, but not discriminatory, in my opinion, for a gym or spa to refuse admittance since they are privately run businesses. A public gym, such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Gym, allows people with tattoos to use its facilities.

I definitely hide my tattoos from my Japanese family, landlords, clients, etc. On one hand, I've seen a surprising number of young people with neck tattoos here. On the other, I've noticed bar owners look uncomfortable when I took off my sweatshirt (and I'm nowhere near covered and I don't have Japanese-style tattoos). I think the stigma, however, also makes it more fun to have tattoos. I sometimes wonder if I would be as into tattoos if I still lived in Brooklyn, where more youngish people seem to be tattooed than not.

[kylegrey]

Haha...I saw that article a few weeks back and left a few comments to point out errors in it. The author was pretty open to them, though.

@hogg I would be interested to know what points you brought up ? I meant to quiz you before about this but its the second time I've heard the term '"wabori " which is in fact a false term as Japanese tattooing is already inherently Japanese . In the S.O.G. book on Horiyoshi III he expands on this as a diminishing of tradition and language is usually the first thing to give . To quote Horiyoshi III " I make a point to never use the word . I use Nihon Dento Irezumi - Japanese traditional tattoo ."

[hogg]

@hogg I would be interested to know what points you brought up ? I meant to quiz you before about this but its the second time I've heard the term '"wabori " which is in fact a false term as Japanese tattooing is already inherently Japanese . In the S.O.G. book on Horiyoshi III he expands on this as a diminishing of tradition and language is usually the first thing to give . To quote Horiyoshi III " I make a point to never use the word . I use Nihon Dento Irezumi - Japanese traditional tattoo ."

Look for comments on the article left by "Ross." The author stated that Horiyoshi III invented tebori. Ha!

[David Flores]

"Actually, despite my opinion that tattoos are not business wear, I am considering displaying my tattoos even at work. My tattoos demonstrate that I can set an outlandish, difficult goal, use my diverse resources to drive it to completion, and get an excellent result. That’s what counts in my project oriented, goal based profession. My tattoos demonstrate that I know how to make shit happen."

No it just means you have enough money to fly to Japan and get tattooed every year. Not to mention he has been working on this goal for 12 years, I would hardly call making shit happen.

[Dan S]

Yeah just for all y'all information.... that's a dude.

Boy best to keep bond money in his wallet at all times...

[Graeme]

"Actually, despite my opinion that tattoos are not business wear, I am considering displaying my tattoos even at work. My tattoos demonstrate that I can set an outlandish, difficult goal, use my diverse resources to drive it to completion, and get an excellent result. That’s what counts in my project oriented, goal based profession. My tattoos demonstrate that I know how to make shit happen."

No it just means you have enough money to fly to Japan and get tattooed every year. Not to mention he has been working on this goal for 12 years, I would hardly call making shit happen.

And unless his work environment is completely different than mine the reaction he will get from his colleagues isn't going to be admiration for his dedication in seeking out and getting a body suit from one of the greatest tattooers to have ever lived, it will, at best, be some variation on "cool tattoo, you don't even know how many times I've almost gotten a Celtic armband. Do you know how much one of those would cost?"