Japanese Law

Even before I came to Japan, I’d heard stories about tattoos being a no-go if you wanted to go to an onsen (hot spring) or public bath and a definite no-no for getting a job. As far as the Japanese were concerned, the only people who had tattoos were yakuza (Japanese mafia). But, oh my goodness, so not true (except for the part about them being socially unacceptable). Once I arrived and started talking to people and doing a little research, I found out some interesting information. For starters, tattooing in Japan has a long history. Let’s start at the beginning. The History of Tattooing in Japan Like all things rebellious, tattoos were seen as a way of giving the proverbial finger to the ruling class of samurai who imposed strict controls over all aspects of society. It’s no surprise, then, that the real height of tattooing in Japan was at this particular point in history. The boom ended when Japan finally opened its doors to foreign ships during the mid 19th century. Its isolation from foreign influences meant Japan lacked many of the modern technologies found in the rest of Asia and other parts of the world and thus risked…