Jamie-Lee Hitchcock, a resident of Australia’s Gold Coast and mother of two, planned her long-awaited trip to Japan as a fairytale summer adventure. However, a few months before her flight, she encountered information that almost made her cancel her booking. It turned out that her numerous tattoos, which are considered a common style element in her homeland, could become a serious obstacle to visiting the most popular tourist locations in the Land of the Rising Sun. “I was in a panic,” admits Jamie-Lee, emphasizing that not a single travel agent warned her about the specific cultural norms still in effect in Japanese society.
tattoos in Japan
Tattoos in Japan: The Path from Criminal Branding to Recognized Art
Japan remains one of the most contradictory countries on the global tattoo culture map. On one hand, the Japanese art of irezumi inspires admiration from collectors worldwide. On the other, within the country, individuals with body art still face harsh discrimination. Visiting public baths, swimming pools, or gyms is often prohibited for people with tattoos. This social stigma has its roots in the Edo period (1603–1868), when tattooing was used as a brand for criminals and later became an integral attribute of the yakuza. However, today the industry is undergoing tectonic shifts, striving to definitively separate high art from its criminal past.