Tattoo culture in Japan (part 1)
I love tattoos. I have 23 tattoos so far. When I came to Hawaii, I just had four tattoos.
Tattoo is considered as a severe problem in Japan. I say that tattoo is taboo in Japan.
Most of the Japanese people, especially older people, are biased against tattoo.
There are two reasons why Japanese people are biased against the tattoo.
First reason is that tattoo was punishment in the past. In 1720 (mid-Edo period), referring to Chinese punishment, Irezumi was adopted as a punishment for minor thieves. Criminals were given punishment tattoos on their foreheads and arms, but the shapes differed from region to region.
Second reason is that tattoo is a symbol of Japanese gangsters.
"Gangster" is called "Yakuza" in Japan.
In the 1960s, masterpieces called “Yakuza movies” were screened one after another in the Japanese movie world and became famous. The tattoo picture drawn on the actor's skin made the character's settings and story visually easy to understand and dramatic, fascinating the audience. The existence of a tattoo that symbolizes masculinity moistened the sluggish film industry and actors established themselves as stars. As a result, the tattoo has been instilled “a symbol of masculinity” to the stereotype of “a symbol of yakuza” into society.
Hi Naoki, your blog is so interesting. I love onsen in japan. when my boyfriend and I went to onsen in Japan, we could not go there because he has tatoo. I hope the role change in the future, so I and my friend are able to go there together!
返信削除Wow! It's crazy how tattoos are looked at differently in other countries compared to the United States. I love tattoos too! I have five tattoos myself. I find it to be an expression of myself. I don't see how it would be looked at as a punishment, but I understand every culture has their own history and such.
返信削除Hi Naoki, this was a really cool and informative post. When I went to the onsen in Korea and Japan, I was very aware of who was around me and how people looked at me and my tattoos. Many of my tattoos are in places that aren't that visible, however, it made me worried that because there are big culture differences, it would make people uncomfortable. And because I was a foreigner, it made me want to learn more and make sure I was being respectful of my surroundings.
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