Japonların Dövme Kültürü

Japanese Tattoo Culture

Getting tattoos or inking has been around for thousands of years, but the surge in its popularity worldwide over the last thirty years is quite remarkable. But how much of this is purely a Western phenomenon? Do Japanese people, apart from gangsters, dislike getting inked? Or what can foreign "inked" visitors expect from Japan? The answers might surprise you!

Tattoo Ban

In Japan, for foreign visitors with tattoos, there's only one condition to accept: you can't enter hot spring baths (onsen), hammams (sento), swimming pools, or other facilities where you might normally enjoy yourself, naked or nearly naked. It's not allowed. The good news is that the Japanese government is considering lifting the bans before the 2020 Olympic Games, as Japan is already experiencing record numbers of foreign tourists, and many may have some kind of tattoo. Also, according to NHK, the Japan Tourism Agency has asked hot spring operators to clarify their future plans regarding tattoo policies.

Why does Japan have an anti-tattoo stance?

I will briefly touch on the historical basis of Japan's phobia of tattoos, but common perceptions suggest that ink on the body is a sign of guilt or low morals, and is often described as dirty or frightening. This is not an isolated group or minority perception, but a widespread belief.

As early as 2012, Osaka Mayor Tōru Hashimoto called on companies to dismiss employees with tattoos, and received considerable support from both public and corporate levels.

The Origin of Irezumi

Irezumi (literally meaning “to add ink”) likely dates back to the Paleolithic period in Japan, although there is no concrete evidence of this. However, there are also instances where various Chinese travelers, around 300 AD, interpreted tattooing in Japan in various ways, possibly for religious purposes or as status symbols. Tattooing gained a bad reputation by the modern era, following 600 AD. During this time, tattoos were a form of punishment for criminals, most notably the Chinese character “dog” being tattooed on the foreheads of the most vicious.

Edo Irezumi Renaissance

In Japan, body art flourished somewhat during the Edo period, inspired by woodblock printing. Epic woodblock prints of characters with bodies adorned with dragons and other mythical creatures, as seen in the popular Chinese novel Suikoden, led to a demand for similar elaborate tattoos. Nara black, which turns a bluish-green color under the skin, was used, along with many of the tools employed in cutting and carving woodblocks for tattooing. While it's not entirely clear who wore these tattoos, some believe they were common among lower-class individuals, while others speculate on wealthy merchants who adorned themselves with jewelry and other ornaments despite legal restrictions.

Modern Thoughts

From the beginning of the Meiji period, Japan outlawed tattooing to maintain a positive image in the West, and Irezumi tattoos gained a bad reputation due to associations with crime and similar things. However, many people, mostly foreigners, continued to practice this art form, and tattoo artists continued to work secretly.

The association between Japan's organized crime families, the Yakuza, and tattooing contributed to the art's momentum and hardened public attitudes towards it.

However, among Japanese youth who are witnessing the place of tattoos in Western fashion, the rigid attitude towards this trend is gradually changing.

Getting Inked in Japan

Getting a tattoo in Japan isn't easy. There are very few "visible" tattoo parlors, and those that do exist are located near US military bases. Many Japanese tattoo artists work by referral, their reputation spreading by word of mouth. They are also quite expensive compared to other countries. Nevertheless, according to purist tattoo enthusiasts, getting a tattoo in Japan is worth the effort put in by reputable Japanese tattoo artists.

While most modern tattoos are done with a needle gun, the ancient Irezumi art is practiced by very few experts. Aside from being more formal than Western tattooing and using the traditional wooden-handled needle, both are painful and time-consuming. Western-style tattoo artists do whatever the client wants, but Irezumi artists have enough say to refuse clients who don't agree with them. Weekly visits to complete a traditional body tattoo can take years and cost thousands of dollars.

In conclusion;

Unfortunately, completely ending tattoo bans will likely require political action, much like some bars were forced to remove their "Japanese Only" signs twenty years ago or more. This is considered a clearly constitutional matter. Of course, those who already have tattoos, especially foreigners, can play a role in changing this deeply ingrained attitude.

I'd like to remind you of the sensational news in international media in 2013 about a Maori woman with traditional facial tattoos being denied entry to a hot spring in Hokkaido, New Zealand. While Japan attracts tourists with health-beneficial things and cultural significance, their exclusion of visitors with tattoos seems illogical to me. However, the Japanese learn quickly. So I hope these old attitudes will end in the coming years. There's still plenty of time before I get a dragon tattoo on my back!

Translated from English.