I want to go to Japan but I have tattoos, can I go?! Tattoos in Japan are still seen as taboo today because of the yakuza, sure, but there’s a lot more to it than that. Let’s chat about the history of tattoos in Japan when they were seen as a fashionable symbol of wealth, when they were used to mark criminals, how they became associated with the yakuza, and of course our own experiences with modern day restrictions. You can’t join a gym, go to hot springs or beached if you’re tattooed?! Sometimes yeah. 

Got questions or want to share your story? Send us an email at [email protected]

Frankie - @franklinthewoman

Cheyenne - @lostwithlow

Words mentioned/useful words:

めんどくさい mendokusai - troublesome, pain in the butt

貸切温泉 kashikiri onsen - private hot spring bath

References/sources:

The Tattoos that Marked the Criminals of the Edo Period

https://pen-online.com/culture/the-tattoos-that-marked-the-criminals-of-the-edo-period/

Irezumi: The Branding of the Yakuza

https://artcrimearchive.net/2023/03/09/irezumi-the-branding-of-the-yakuza/

Suikoden (水滸傳) 

https://woodblockprints.org/index.php/Detail/entities/496

The History of Japanese Irizumi

https://chronicinktattoo.com/blogs/latest/japanese-tattoo-irizumi-toronto-vancouver

The Tattooist for the Yakuza Explains Why Tattoos Should Never Be Seen https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-tattooist-for-the-yakuza-explains-why-tattoos-should-never-be-seen/

The Ainu of Japan https://www.japan-experience.com/plan-your-trip/to-know/understanding-japan/the-ainu-in-japan

Japan’s assimilation of Okinawa https://digitalcommons.bridgewater.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=aspire_2024

Time stamps

00:00 catching up/life updates

05:39 intro to tattoos

08:18 DISCLAIMER

09:27 history of tattoos in Japan

14:44 the yakuza

17:27 indigenous peoples of Japan

20:15 modern restrictions and getting rejected

33:30 why our husbands do or don’t want tattoos

35:51 sento vs onsen

39:00 Japanese ppl with tattoos 

44:27 heavily tattooed - how can you manage?

53:52 listener stories

59:36 more tattoo history

1:03:14 the gym

1:05:07 do we still want more tattoos