Tattoos In Japan

Tuesday May 30, 2006 in: Body Art Tag(s):

Remember those movies about the Japanese criminal underground? There's Michael Douglas's Black Rain, and Dolph Lundgren's Showdown in Little Tokyo, an otherwise forgettable movie if not for the luscious Tia Carrere.

At least as far as these movies are concerned, what else do Japanese gang members have in common, aside from their usual brutality and general meanness? Tattoos. Elaborate, colorful and ultimately beautiful tattoos.

I'm not certain if it really is a requirement for Yakuza to sport them. What I'm sure about is that tattoos-full traditional body suits in particular-are still popularly associated with members of underground criminal syndicates in Japan, in very much the same way that we associate body art with bikers, convicts, sailors and rock stars.

But while many recreational facilities, hot springs, and gyms in the Land of the Rising Sun still deny entry to people with tattoos in plain slight, there are indications that tattoos are going mainstream in Japan.

According to The Japan Times online report, a tattoo exhibition held last month in Japan has attracted more than 500 individuals, among which were young women and couples. Hardly yakuza-material, don't you think?

The prevailing reason for getting tattoos in Japan remain aesthetic, but many regard tattoos as "emotional balms" to raise self-esteem, while some get tattoos as a way of coming to terms with the loss of a loved one.

This slow but steadily gaining acceptance of tattoos in Japan is in line with the growing popularity of body art all over the world. After all, the art of tattooing has been with us for more than a thousand years, while many indigenous tribes and cultures consider tattoos, along with body piercing, as badges of honor.

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