Show notes
I want to go to Japan but I have tattoos, can I go?! Tattoos in Japan are still seen as taboo today because of the yakuza, sure, but there’s a lot more to it than that. Let’s chat about the history of tattoos in Japan when they were seen as a fashionable symbol of wealth, when they were used to mark criminals, how they became associated with the yakuza, and of course our own experiences with modern day restrictions. You can’t join a gym, go to hot springs or beached if you’re tattooed?! Sometimes yeah. Got questions or want to share your story? Send us an email at [email protected] - @franklinthewomanCheyenne - @lostwithlowWords mentioned/useful words:めんどくさい mendokusai - troublesome, pain in the butt貸切温泉 kashikiri onsen - private hot spring bathReferences/sources:The Tattoos that Marked the Criminals of the Edo Periodhttps://pen-online.com/culture/the-tattoos-that-marked-the-criminals-of-the-edo-period/Irezumi: The Branding of the Yakuzahttps://artcrimearchive.net/2023/03/09/irezumi-the-branding-of-the-yakuza/Suikoden (水滸傳) https://woodblockprints.org/index.php/Detail/entities/496The History of Japanese Irizumihttps://chronicinktattoo.com/blogs/latest/japanese-tattoo-irizumi-toronto-vancouverThe Tattooist for the Yakuza Explains Why Tattoos Should Never Be Seen https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-tattooist-for-the-yakuza-explains-why-tattoos-should-never-be-seen/The Ainu of Japan https://www.japan-experience.com/plan-your-trip/to-know/understanding-japan/the-ainu-in-japanJapan’s assimilation of Okinawa https://digitalcommons.bridgewater.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=aspire_2024Time stamps00:00 catching up/life updates05:39 intro to tattoos08:18 DISCLAIMER09:27 history of tattoos in Japan14:44 the yakuza17:27 indigenous peoples of Japan20:15 modern restrictions and getting rejected33:30 why our husbands do or don’t want tattoos35:51 sento vs onsen39:00 Japanese ppl with tattoos 44:27 heavily tattooed - how can you manage?53:52 listener stories59:36 more tattoo history1:03:14 the gym1:05:07 do we still want more tattoos