I’m curious about the real, actual experiences of other moderately to heavily tattooed foreign people living in Japan. There is this incredibly famous \*expectation\* of negative stigma, but I personally haven’t encountered anything but acceptance and I’m starting to think this may be extremely overhyped, at least for non-Japanese.
I lived in Japan in the past, went back to America, and got all my visible tattoos in the time between. (Hand, most of arms, most of both legs.) I was so worried about my Japanese friends viewing me differently, but they were *so* accepting, even excited to show their kids. (Some of my tattoos have cute images. Most are heavy/dark, but nothing vulgar etc.) People in shops have made very nice comments, but no excessive attention. I cover them at work with modest clothes and a glove, and away from work I dress “normally”.
From my previous experience, I understood that expectations of Japanese by other Japanese can be very different from expectations and judgement of foreigners, but even knowing this, I was so worried that I was even concerned about being singled out by police or something. That seems ridiculous to me now.
Have any of you had notable experiences, comments, or anything else regarding your tattoos here in Japan?
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I think the discrimination comes from establishments like gyms/onsens, rather than from colleagues and strangers. I got asked to cover up at the gym because my innocent little butterfly tattoo was showing *THE HORRORS*!! I am Japanese.
Younger people don’t care, it’s normally the prehistoric generation that cares.
My FIL knows I have tatts, I just have to cover them because at their age I guess they still worry about street cred from the neighbors.
The opinion of the individual vary greatly from the social collective.
Individually? Many Japanese are fine with tattoos. No one cares all that much, honestly, especially when the individual in question is a foreigner and therefore outside of the typical realm of judgment.
Collectively? It’s still very much taboo and viewed through stereotypical lenses. Try walking into some traditional onsen or communal baths with tattoos, and the difference in reaction will be palpable.
Keep in mind that the elderly still make up a majority of the population, and until those generations bite the dust, the hivemind is unlikely to falter.
Opinion don’t typically change — they die out.
Thankfully I’ve never ran into any issues. And I live around a bunch of families and old people. People also assume I’m half just because I’m Asian. Despite that, still no problems. Yayy
If anything I’ve had people not sit beside me on the train before, but even that is rare.
I just avoid onsens, gyms, and pools. Otherwise, no one seems to care.
Zero effect, negative or positive at a societal level. An individual has never commented on my tattoos or thought any less/more of me because of them beyond かっこいい or 怖い. In nearly a decade I can’t think of a single situation where a person changed their behavior because of this.
Minor inconvenience to major annoyance from an institutional level. The longer that I spend in Japan the more I run across organizations that have instituted policies that negatively affect me because of my tattoos.
Gyms, Beaches, Sento, Onsen, Pool, Spa, etc.
It might seem like a small thing, but its pretty annoying to be treated as a second class citizen in a country that I’ve made every attempt to naturalize in.
**Inconvenience** – having to wear slightly more clothing at the gym.
**Annoyance** – having to swim with a shirt on.
**Major Annoyance** – Visiting rural communities/cultural centers around Japan and being barred from entering Onsen, etc. with my wife.
YMMV.
Nope
A few teachers I know with tattoos just have to keep to covered with a shirt, wristband, bandage etc. They were all still employed so I don’t think it’s a super big deal with it comes to -certain- kinds of work. Some beaches in Okinawa didn’t allow them, but c’mon. I assume that means massive ones, nobody’s checking or noticing little ones.
Shouldn’t get tattoos if you want to be in Japan for any length of time IMO
I’m going to Okinawa later this year. I’m hoping that with coverups (e.g. rash guard, sheer pants over a bathing suit) my tattoos won’t be an issue for the beach.
Otherwise I haven’t had any issue with my tattoos in Japan. I’ve gone to onsen (albeit smaller, less touristy) and just asked the staff before entering if having tattoos is an issue. They told me it’s no problem. I even got compliments on my cat tattoo from some older ladies in the bath! Go figure.
99% of my experiences are neutral to positive. The other 1% is talking to police.
I don’t know anybody who personally has a strong opinion about or against tattoos. It seems to be more the case that “this is the rule” and “somebody might get offended”.
That’s why they ask you to cover up your tattoos at the gym.
My tatoo isn’t that big, usually covered by the sleeve on a t-shirt, but it’s a tatoo nonetheless. The first time my wife saw it she was a little surprised, and poked it as if to make sure it was real, but no problems. Her parents don’t seem to mind either. Random people on the beach sometimes laugh because the kanji is a little odd. Have never tried to enter an onsen though.
I have couple of forearm tattoos. I got some looks in the town at the beginning (deep inaka) but now it’s mostly tourists that look.
Didn’t have any problems in the gym but was asked to cover up one time in a spa (first few times no problem) – so I’m assuming someone was complaining to the staff. Apart from not being able to go to some onsens I feel like it doesn’t really affect me.
My Japanese friend (older generation) thought that I paint on my skin every day and was surprised when I explained it’s permanent and done by needles!
Only negative experience I’ve had came from an old Yakuza guy that sometimes frequents the jazz bar that serves as my local. He told me that showing them off was vulgar. He is heavily tattooed himself but he’s always covered up.
Haven’t run into any issues in years.
These days it’s just the gym/pool/onsen thing for the most part. There’s also needing to wear long sleeves around the office in the summer, but that would be the case in a management position in most countries, it’s not generally seen as consistent with a professional image.
I do still occasionally get the odd curious person in the bar walking up and trying to get photos of my tattoos or pulling at my sleeve trying to see more. Unsurprisingly, usually drunk and older. Not really an annoyance most times, sometimes it’s even a good conversation starter.
Annoyance though, my ward changed management companies for the ward pools and gyms, and the new management company implemented a tattoo covering rule. Will be complaining to the ward office about that one, as it’s not the management company’s place to implement that sort of thing when the ward previously repealed it.
I have a fair number of tattoos. I’ve received some negativity for it and been told I can’t enter onsen a couple of times but it’s almost exclusively from older people. I get whispered about and pointed to a lot if they’re visible but I always get stared at a lot anyway so I can’t really tell if that part of my day-to-day increases when my tattoos can be seen. I’ve yet to try a pool or a gym here so I can’t answer that aspect of it right now. I’ve been able to use the onsen at ryokan without issue.
When I taught at an eikaiwa some of the adult students knew I had them and asked the usual questions before asking to see them and then losing interest (if they had any at all, as some people just didn’t care from the get-go).
Overall, it’s been about as expected.
My friend with a large back tattoo got a compliment about it from a jiji at Mc Donald’s. Nobody ever said anything about my wrist tattoo other then that it’s cute. I have been banned from going to onsen in hotels though even though I paid just as much as other hotel guests to stay there.
U dont have an asian face do you😅
The triangular relationship the media portrays is massively harmful in modern Japan: tattoos = yakuza/gangs = bad. As for tattooed foreigners, the おもてなし rule doesn’t apply here – selective hospitality.
If gyms ban people with tattoos, why not the obasan with tattooed eyebrows?