When getting a job in a company, does a tattoo become a negative factor? Still, many Japanese companies reject employees who have tattoos. For Japanese companies, if an employee of the company gets a tattoo, it seems that he is an anti-social person or is associated with other anti-social people.
Yes, Japan allows foreigners with tattoos to visit the country. However, people with visible tattoos may be barred from certain places like onsens (hot springs), gyms, swimming pools, and some traditional ryokans (inns), as tattoos are often associated with the Yakuza.
A rather common question following the topic of tattoo disapproval in Japan is whether or not it is actually straight up illegal. The answer is no, tattoos are not illegal at all. In fact, there is even a traditional Japanese tattooing style called Irezumi, which dates back many centuries.
Expectations for dress and appearance will vary by region and culture. If you're planning to teach English in Japan with tatoos, for example, you will find schools that prohibit teachers from having visible tattoos. This is largely due to the cultural association tattoos have with the Yakuza (Japanese Mafia).
The country has been known to be less welcoming than many others when it comes to visitors with inked skin, but in recent times things are changing. The common misconception about tattoos is that it represents yakuza (Japanese mob) connections, but in fact, that's not the case.
Rules are very important in Japan, and as there is a no tattoo rule in nearly all pools, onsens and gyms, a foreigner walking up to the desk with tattoos showing is bound to cause concern. Just cover up and keep those tattoos covered and that is acceptable. If you can't cover up, don't go to those environments.
Japan has two tattoo cultures - Western and Yakuza - and while it seems unlikely that a foreign tourist would be confused with one, the rules generally exist to keep gang members out of certain spaces. However, these attitudes date back to the Edo period (1603-1868), where criminals were punished with tattoos.
Tattoos in Japan are still considered uncommon, but they do exist. It is totally legal to get a tattoo in Japan, and just in 2020, tattoo artists have been approved by law to work without a medical license.
Ear piercings are against Japanese school dress code, along with any other forms of jewelry and even painted nails. In fact, piercings of any kind are very uncommon in Japan, even for older people. Usually the people who get ear piercings in Japan are rule-breakers, or people who are trying to look tough.
This can be a bit of a tricky one. In a simlar way to Japan, Korea has a very conservative society, and schools have strict requirements when it comes to personal appearances. Most importantly: No visible tattoos (if they can be covered by a long-sleeve shirt this should be fine).
Besides booking yourself a private onsen (which can be costly), you can purchase body stickers and skin-coloured patches to conceal your body art. However, most of these coverings are on the smaller side.
Well I'm sorry to ruin your dreams, but unfortunately, as many of you already know, if you are a tattooed person, you are not allowed to enter most of the public baths, pools, hot springs, gyms or beaches in the country.
Restricting tattooed guests from bathing would make it impossible for much of the global population to experience this vital part of Japanese nature and culture. Today, having a tattoo will not prevent you from experiencing an onsen or sento.
Three largest syndicates
The Yakuza are still active in Japan. Although Yakuza membership has declined since the implementation of the Anti-Boryokudan Act in 1992, the Japanese National Police Agency estimated in 2022 that approximately 11,400 Yakuza members were engaged in illegal activity in Japan.
Regardless of the style of tattoo you want, you will doubtless have no trouble finding a very talented Japanese artist who can create exactly the design you want. And, you will probably be very impressed with the result. Regardless of the style of tattoo you are after, Japan is a great place to get inked.
At the end of the 2019 school year, it began allowing girls to wear pants. At the end of 2021, girls were given the option of wearing neckties, no longer limited to bow ties. Following consultations with parents while gradually adding options, the school ended up completely overhauling the uniforms.
In Japanese schools, students do not have unnaturally dyed hair or eccentric hair styles. Piercings, earrings, necklaces and rings are not allowed in schools. Students cannot wear makeup, perfume, or have visible tattoos. Female students cannot wear skirts above the knees or high heels.
Many schools maintain policies that ban dyed or permed hair, makeup, and nail polish. Voice Up Japan sat down with Beverly Kiyomi Boyd, who went to a public international high school in Hyogo Prefecture.
Around 1.4 million Japanese adults now have tattoos, almost double the number in 2014. Sixty percent of Japanese people in their 20s and younger believe that rules regarding tattoos should be relaxed, according to a survey last year.
Prices will vary depending on where you go, but generally speaking, getting a tattoo in Japan will be cheaper than getting one done in your home country.
You can get arrested if you tattoo a minor. The nationwide legal age in Japan is 20. Under the Anti-Organized Crime law, it is against the law for a member of an organized group forcing a minor to be tattooed. In some regional laws, it is generally against the law to tattoo minors.
While tattoos are not illegal, they can prevent people from getting the full Japanese experience. When using public transportation in Japan, such as trains, tourists with visible tattoos will want to keep in mind that their ink may be offensive to some of the locals.
Body ink has long been stigmatised in Japan due to its links with the criminal underworld. In recent years tattoos have been associated with country's largest organised crime syndicate, the Yakuza, but their murky history dates much further back.
Since the 1990s, as tattooing in Japan is readily associated with the national mafia, some establishments and signs prohibit access to anyone with a tattoo to screen potential criminals. Unfortunately, these decisions also impact both Japanese people and foreigners who have tattoos without any connection to the yakuza.