Sorry if this isn’t allowed, I thought I’d take my shot.
As the title says, I’m a tattooed Indepedent Model and I’ve been interested in Japan and it’s beauty and culture for a really long time. I never thought I’d have the chance for a decent trip, let alone an extended stay but I have an opportunity to *possibly* take this and I just wanted to see what others had to say. I’m not with a company yet, the idea was that I would go on my trip and drop off my portfolio with a few companies. I know being foreigner (white) can make it a little harder but I also know tattoos aren’t as accepted in Japan as other locations even if its slowly getting there.
My question is, how slow is it? Is it still possible for me to get a position and do some modeling there? Would I be better off scheduling and making a few trips a year to model? I don’t have a lot of tattoos, and their not that big, should I remove them? If I don’t stay/live there and I’m just visiting I’m not too worried about it, but I don’t want to be offensive.
8 comments
Under what visa do you plan to go there?
Most people can’t just “go” and then “stay if they get a job.”
Aside from the visa issues, I don’t think it’s possible to get signed with a mainstream agency with any tattoos at all (foreigner or not).
It will be nearly impossible to find a modeling agency that would be able to support your visa to live in Japan. It would definitely be impossible for you to make enough to support yourself and your own visa as an independent model, if for no other reason than the legal (visa) difficulties involved with that.
If you have a four year university degree, you could come here and teach English, as long as you are able to cover your tattoos. Then, you could do modeling on the side.
Otherwise, your choices are very limited if not completely non-existent.
Tattoos aside, very few agencies are going to want/be able to provide you with full time, salaried employment, which is what you need to get a working visa.
As you’re (probably) well aware, modelling is a gig-based job. Which is fine, if you’re a citizen or otherwise have permission to live in a particular country. But you can’t get a visa for gig work in Japan.
If you’re *very* well established and renowned in your field things might be slightly different. But honestly if you’re at that level you’d be talking to your agency about sending you to Japan, not asking Reddit.
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I think the bigger issue is under what visa you plan on going there rather than worrying whether you’ll be accepted (or whether your tattoos will). Japan has many visa types for many different categories. Literally the first thing your employer will ask regardless of your portfolio is what visa are you on OR what visa do you THINK you can get.
You say you want to drop off your portfolio with a few companies. That wont make a difference. Unless, the company is able to sponsor your visa, which it should state in the contract or job applications. If it doesn’t sponsor visas, you’re all on your own when it comes to visa applications.
Also university degrees. Have you graduated from university? Japanese government really REALLY cares about that, and its something they check when doing background checks on you.
You could come and work as an ALT/ESL, and do modelling on the side. That could definitely work and a lot of foreigners (even students) do it.
As for your tattoos, I have never seen a tattooed model both foreign and Japanese in Japan, so maybe that’s saying something.
Sorry if I’m downplaying your hopes, but I think its best to see it how it is. I’ve always wanted tattoos, one on my back, a sleeve on my arm too. Most of my family has tattoos too. But since I also wanted to come to Japan, I decided not to get one. I’m glad I didn’t get a tattoo before having arrived here, Id stick out like a sore thumb.
A friend of mine did a 6 month modelling gig here in Japan many years ago.
He was already established as model and worked with an agency back home. His agency back home loaned him to an agency here in Japan who sponsored him for a 3 month entertainer visa. He extended this for another 3 months because he was getting a lot of work and was having a good time doing it.
The key factor is that he was already established professionally and had an agency in Japan willing to sponsor him. You need that sponsor, and you need to find it before coming to Japan.
Easiest way is for your agency in your home country to get you work out there for shorter amounts of time. you’ll be working with an agency in japan they have an agreement with. I did this many years ago for a month or 3 at a time, but also going to other countries often as well. it definitely wasn’t a long term thing. I have tattoos as well but not a ton, just 6 smaller ones that were easily covered. it also took literally forever to get paid in east asian countries idk why
Getting signed at a local japanese agency while heavily tattooed seems almost impossible but it could happen. Getting work is a totally different story, that’s even more rare