Japan Warming to Tattoos

Japan has long been anti-tattoo; for quite a while in Japanese society, tattoos have been heavily associated with the yakuza (very similar to many other countries) and were a gangster's proof of loyalty, of strength, and of character. Even earlier, tattoos and some other practices like snake charming were outlawed as Japan opened up to the rest of the world for fear of being perceived as "primitive" - but apparently also at this time, the tattoo industry went underground, and the work of tattoo artists from Japan was extremely coveted, attracting those from as far as Europe.
People were fearful of those with tattoos, and in the 70s - 90s this practice of tattooing gang alignment as well as punishing criminals with tattoos was in full swing.  Recently, though, these practices have fallen out of popularity, and tattoos no longer represent what they once did.

Many businesses (and people) in Japan are still quite wary. What initially were tattoo bans in public places such as onsens to keep gangsters and criminals out now separate society, generating many tourist message board postings about navigating Japan while tatted and also serve to prevent many former yakuza members (now uninvolved in the organization) from fully re-integrating. Especially in the context of the upcoming 2020 Olympics, Japan is feeling more pressure than ever before to shift the societal mindset regarding tattoos, and those who have them. Interestingly, the tattoo industry is sometimes still held to the standard of a bizarre law from around 70 years ago, banning tattoo artists from tattooing on the basis that because tattooing involves needles it is a medical procedure, and the artists are therefore not authorized to perform it. Several artists that were against this ban and a 2001 law upholding it recently pushed back and started a campaign.

Several articles noted that this perception regarding tattoos is generally not held by the younger population in Japan, with many young Japanese people getting tattoos and expressing themselves through their ink. Still, though, many bans remain in bathhouses, pools, etc; the clearest sign that Japan is not quite ready to let go of the negative connotations tattoos have had. Recently,  bathing facilities (bathhouses, hotels, hostels, etc) were surveyed to determine how they handle tattooed visitors, to get a better sense of how these interactions are playing out with an ever-increasing number of international, tattooed visitors. According to the survey, 56% of businesses simply bar entry to those with tattoos - but 31% did allow all tattoos, without covers. Of the businesses that did ban, the reason was most commonly cited that they were allowed to judge independently for reasons related to "hygiene" and "public morals." The tourism facility of Japan has pushed businesses across Japan to reconsider this stance, reminding them that people that have tattoos do not pose a threat to hygiene and can get tattoos for a variety of reasons, citing religion and fashion. They suggested allowing visitors to cover their tattoos with patches and creating tattoo specific areas / hours.

A former expat with tattoos, though, said that while she had experienced some negative interactions on beaches and at amusement parks and needed to cover up, the people she interacted with on a day to day basis had always reacted positively to her tattoos, and her experience was overall not a negative one. Her impression was also that people are rumored to care much more than they actually do - a case of law maybe not actually reflecting public mindset.

Tattoos currently exist very much in a grey area in Japan - while moving towards greater popularity and acceptance, the road will inevitably be rocky, but maybe this issue is not as divided as many think.

https://livejapan.com/en/in-tokyo/in-pref-tokyo/in-tokyo_train_station/article-a0002894/

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/12/19/national/stigma-legal-battles-show-japan-still-tattoo-complex-even-olympics-loom/#.XP0nmtMzZ0s