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Tatoos in Japan...
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Deicide



Joined: 29 Jul 2006
Posts: 1005
Location: Caput Imperii Americani
PostPosted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 2:36 pm    Post subject: Tatoos in Japan... Reply with quote
I wanted to open this thread because I am worried about the tatoo situation on Japan, i.e. one will be banned from everything and viewed as a yakuza. For example no joining a gym with tatoos? I have a whole bunch, which can all be covered up with longish sleeved t-shirts or long sleeved shirt and pants. My whole upper back is tatooed my shoulders, my entire chest and my right calf and I have a nipple piercing and to top it off 3 earings. I am panicing because I can cover them up but what if I am in the changing room or taking a shower at the gym? I apparently won't be allowed to join at all, huh? I need the scoop from people in the know...cheers all, D
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callmesim



Joined: 27 Oct 2005
Posts: 279
Location: London, UK
PostPosted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 4:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
This issue has been discussed before many times:

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=27572

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=8474

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=11336

I've had students with tattoos, worked with someone with heaps of tattoos, and seen people in the street with tattoos.

Whatever you do, don't cut the tips of your fingers off. That'll mark you more as yakuza than any tattoo!
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JimDunlop2



Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Posts: 2286
Location: Japan
PostPosted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 4:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
The piercing won't matter even in places that disallow tattoos (the Japanese are just too unfamiliar with that sort of thing to have created any rules against it)...

As for the tattoos... Sounds like (due to the size and number of what you have) you're just going to have to find places where they won't care/mind that you have them. Period. Stay away from small towns -- larger cities are much more likely to have a larger selection of facilities from which to choose.
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markle



Joined: 17 Jan 2003
Posts: 1316
Location: Out of Japan
PostPosted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 2:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I think your biggest problem is that you are big on working out right? So finding a sports club that will let you in. It`s certainly going to limit your options. I suggest looking for a gym that is owned/managed or at least caters for foreigners although outside the big cities it might be hard.
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JimDunlop2



Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Posts: 2286
Location: Japan
PostPosted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 4:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
callmesim wrote:
Whatever you do, don't cut the tips of your fingers off. That'll mark you more as yakuza than any tattoo!


Awwwww man! If only someone had told me! There I was with me mates last week, saying: "Man, wouldn't it be cool to cut off bits of our fingers!" Then one thing led to another and.....

Twisted Evil
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callmesim



Joined: 27 Oct 2005
Posts: 279
Location: London, UK
PostPosted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 5:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
JimDunlop2 wrote:
callmesim wrote:
Whatever you do, don't cut the tips of your fingers off. That'll mark you more as yakuza than any tattoo!


Awwwww man! If only someone had told me! There I was with me mates last week, saying: "Man, wouldn't it be cool to cut off bits of our fingers!" Then one thing led to another and.....

Twisted Evil


I was on the train one afternoon coming back from Wakayama and these obnoxious kids were throwing stuff around the train, making lots of noise - mother not caring. Then they threw something and it hit a rough looking man. He was all friendly and the mother had a brief chat. When he pointed to something the kids had though, it was obvious he was missing some finger tips.

Oh how that shut the kids up quickly! And the mother. The rest of the train journey was bliss.
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wolfman



Joined: 18 Jan 2006
Posts: 189
PostPosted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 5:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Concerning the way Yakuza are seen in Japan, I thought the following was an interesting article.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/rogers/rogers196.html
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NorthofAmerica



Joined: 17 Jul 2006
Posts: 187
Location: Recovering Expat
PostPosted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 9:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I was worried about the tattoo situation as well before I got here and I have found it to be generally exaggerated. The gym thing might be a problem and I wouldn't go to a hot spring though. People will often be a little leary of you once they see your tattoos but for the most part it is no big deal. You are a foreigner so no one will think you are in the yakuza and in general I find people express more of a guarded interest than outright disdain for tattoos. I live in a small town and have not had a problem yet. Kids love them. Every time a student catches a glimpse of the one on my forearm they want to touch it and will yell "sugoi"

Just play it by ear and be prepared for people not to like them very much.
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