I recently graduated college and have been considering moving to Japan for a few years now as job options are now significantly more open considering my degree. There’s only one caveat – I have two full sleeves on both of my arms.
For those who live in Japan with lots of tattoos, does it make life significantly more difficult in any way? I obviously understand that I won’t be able to go to public onsens and things like that but does it affect any other parts of your life?
Edit: I forgot to mention that I also would prefer to live in a slightly more rural area of Japan, particularly somewhere in northern Japan. Not sure if that makes any difference.
by biggieraptors
11 comments
At work, I keep mine covered. As you mentioned, Onsens can be challenging, as well as beaches, water parks/pools, and some other places. As long as you keep them covered in those types of situations, you’ll be fine.
I kept mine covered as much as possible when I was there, but whenever they would slip out, I got a lot of compliments, even in the workplace from my bosses (though I work in academia so people might be a bit less accepting of them in the corporate world). A lot of staring if I have them out but never experienced anything negative (other than not being able to go to onsen, like you say).
This was in a small city. I think it makes a big difference where you live. If you’re walking around Shinjuku, no one’s going to care. If you’re in the inaka maybe it’s a different story.
Get them removed
A few things:
**Your job.**
Depending on the field and company and how conservative, it could be critical or a non-issue. Most of the time, men wear long sleeves anyway so it wouldn’t matter unless they’re extremely uptight. In the summer you might have to cover your arms even if it’s super hot. But if you’re at a relatively progressive company they may not care at all because you’re foreign.
**Location.**
You say you want to live in northern Japan. Tohoku? Hokkaido? Rural Aomori, Sendai, Sapporo? Where exactly?
I live in rural Aomori and I’d say people are chill about it here. Not a lot of foreigners overall, but there’s a large American base in Misawa so tattoos are not uncommon on foreigners. Most establishments don’t care, even onsens. That varies wildly based on location though. You may find pockets of people who love tattoos and pockets of wildly judgemental people.
Disclaimer: I posted the below before in another thread, and I repost it again here with slight update.
If your tattoos were very minor and easy to be covered up, things might be go well as easy as other tattooed users’ experience. But about full sleeves…
I don’t know on which visa category you are planning to come, I’m afraid that, even if you are eligible for a working holiday visa, or even if you have enough academic qualifications to apply for a working visa, you will definitely face serious difficulties in job searching in Japan. I personally know several foreigners who had trouble on their job searching due to their unconcealable tattoos. Some of them ended up getting no job spot eligible for working visa and needed to go back.
Your options can be very limited unless you are able to cover your tattoo up: to search a white-collar job which never requires her to face any clients (for that, she needs to has outstanding job skills in particular fields though), or to continue covering her tattoos even in the summer heat, or to seek an employer exceptionally tolerant of tattoos, whose clients don’t mind staff members being covered in too many tattoos. But regarding the last option, I’m not quite sure if such an ideal opportunity for you does really exist in Japan. Being tattoo-friendly industry and having eligibility to let foreign applicants apply for working visa are not always compatible.
I started removing mine about 2-3 years ago and have full removal on one tattoo, now I can go into Onsen hassle free as the other tattoos just look like bruises.
It takes a long time and money but it is worth it in the end.
My wife and I are both heavily tattooed, and it’s pretty much never been an issue for me
When I have important meetings I cover them, but otherwise I never do. I’ve of course had some issues with Onsens, but that’s about it. I’ve had 100 people tell me they like them (I don’t really care if it was genuine or snarky) vs just a handful of people say something negative.
My wife has had more creepy guys think it’s an into talk to her and touch her, but that’s really the extent of the negatives.
I wear long sleeves every day. Even in the summer.
Focus on your job. You’re a foreigner… you could get the same stares wearing sunglasses, shorts and a tank top as you would full sleeves. And if you’re already sleeved up you should know to stop caring about what other people think of you.
As far as what you can’t experience it can feel a little isolating or unfair, but that’s what you’re signing up for and it is worth it. Gyms, yoga, onsen… maybe some discrimination in the workplace, but that’s about it.
Stop dreaming. Learn the language and apply to jobs or get experience in your country until you are employable. Too many use things like tattoos as an excuse to not even try.
It really depends. I had large back tattoos, have been to onsen and sento all around Japan over multiple trips – avoided those that openly said no tattoos, everywhere else was not a problem or I got compliments. Osaka was the most chill, and rural communities in the north of Honshu and Hokkaido.
That said, I am a middle-aged, boring looking woman, and my tattoos are all plants and animals. YMMV.
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