Tattoo Friendly Japan

If you can read Japanese or use Google Translate, Tattoo Spot is much more comprehensive.
 
This is honestly such a great resource, thank you for sharing. I haven't been to an onsen since moving here cause I've been too anxious about my girly little tattoos. They are so small and spread out that covering them is a real pain. I'm definitely going to an onsen that doesn't mind a little ink this fall : )

Thank you !
 
This is so helpful!

FYI for tattooed friends- don't go to Tokyo Summerland if you have tattoos because the tattoo police will cause a scene and will kick you out.

All I wanted was to go on some water slides :'(
 
This is so helpful!

FYI for tattooed friends- don't go to Tokyo Summerland if you have tattoos because the tattoo police will cause a scene and will kick you out.

All I wanted was to go on some water slides :'(
And some of those dudes working at the entrance look like they have no trouble dealing with Yaks and surly Marines. I wouldn't be surprised if they get a bonus for stepping in when a situation is heading to fist city.
 
And some of those dudes working at the entrance look like they have no trouble dealing with Yaks and surly Marines. I wouldn't be surprised if they get a bonus for stepping in when a situation is heading to fist city.


Surprisingly enough the one who dragged me out was an ojisan in a Hawaiian shirt.
 
Thank you for sharing this. I myself is the same but I have friends with tattoos and this information will help them. I don’t think I’ll ever get tattoos. Maybe when I have kids and I have a c section I may get one to cover the scar.

Honestly oji sans don’t need a degree in Visual Arts to distinguish between a side boob tattoo and a sleeve piece designed by an Irezumi tattooist who particularly caters to organized crime groups.. but anyway.
 
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Honestly oji sans don’t need a degree in Visual Arts to distinguish between a side boob tattoo and a sleeve piece designed by an Irezumi tattooist

I think you are missing the point. If they could post a sign saying "Bad people please stay away" that would of course be the easiest way for everyone. But they cannot.

So they get to the second option which is to deny entry from everyone with a tattoo. Now everyone with a tattoo is not yakuza but every yakuza has a tattoo. So it works as long as you don't care about the collateral damage. And they don't.

Even if they did there is little they can do. As soon as they start separating the artistic hippies from the hit-men they open the Pandora's box and everyone without a little finger would claim their tattoo is done in art school by their best friend in the memory of their sweet grandma.
 
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Now everyone with a tattoo is not yakuza but every yakuza has a tattoo.

The funny part is that younger yaks aren't actually allowed to get tattooed in a lot of cases - they've worked out that it's a liability when it comes to dealing with cops, especially internationally.
 
The funny part is that younger yaks aren't actually allowed to get tattooed in a lot of cases

The young guys I bath with do have some, though pretty small ones. I was thinking it's because they are just in the beginning of their careers, I mean they still have all their fingers and all.
 
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I think you are missing the point. If they could post a sign saying "Bad people please stay away" that would of course be the easiest way for everyone. But they cannot.

So they get to the second option which is to deny entry from everyone with a tattoo. Now everyone with a tattoo is not yakuza but every yakuza has a tattoo. So it works as long as you don't care about the collateral damage. And they don't.
Thats all not totally true.
First of all, a lot or places also post “we don’t allow people affiliated with gangs” on the same signs as where they write that tattoos are not allowed.
Second of all, while cool and a good sign of loyalty, yakuza are not obligated to get tattoos. A lot of them don’t have them. I read of internet that full body tattoos are kind of out of fashion and many yakuza who want a tattoo opt for a western style tattoo. Also the ones with families who like to take their kids to the pool probably don’t get tattoos.

So, while its overlapping in many cases, there are a lot of “bad guys” who don’t have tattoos and still happily go to summerland, me thinks.

Also i think with the olympic games comming up, if Japan want to cash in on the tourists, they should make a rule that foreigners with tattoos are allowed into all the swimming and onsen places but Japanese people with tattoos are not.
While the old Japanese people will most likely still lose their shit, they can’t very well claim that those white tourists who don’t speak Japanese are mafia. And maybe the foreigners will be pleased to have some special privilege, lol.
 
Thats all not totally true.
First of all, a lot or places also post “we don’t allow people affiliated with gangs” on the same signs as where they write that tattoos are not allowed.
Second of all, while cool and a good sign of loyalty, yakuza are not obligated to get tattoos. A lot of them don’t have them. I read of internet that full body tattoos are kind of out of fashion and many yakuza who want a tattoo opt for a western style tattoo. Also the ones with families who like to take their kids to the pool probably don’t get tattoos.

So, while its overlapping in many cases, there are a lot of “bad guys” who don’t have tattoos and still happily go to summerland, me thinks.

Also i think with the olympic games comming up, if Japan want to cash in on the tourists, they should make a rule that foreigners with tattoos are allowed into all the swimming and onsen places but Japanese people with tattoos are not.
While the old Japanese people will most likely still lose their shit, they can’t very well claim that those white tourists who don’t speak Japanese are mafia. And maybe the foreigners will be pleased to have some special privilege, lol.
Like these dudes????
 
Just as a side note, the gym I go to allows tattoos, they just have to be under 15cm x 15cms (which mine are), but they have to be covered at all times. The logic there is mind boggling, how would they know if you were covering much larger tattoos ?

Also, because of this absurd rule, I've attached a picture of the outfit I wore to the gym today (despite the heat). I really love my gym, but I might need to find a new one that allows tattoos for the summer months so that I can wear something without sleeves while I'm crunching my life away.

IMAG3156.jpg
 
By your own logic, your behavior is ridiculous. You don't "have to put up with that" "it was your choice" to read the thread "in the first place".
Logic shouldn’t enter into the discussion of why people write permanently on themselves and why people react negatively to it.
 
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Just as a side note, the gym I go to allows tattoos, they just have to be under 15cm x 15cms (which mine are), but they have to be covered at all times.

The only gyms that will allow you to work out with tattoos uncovered are some of the ward gyms, unless you want to join a fight training gym - kickboxing, boxing, etc. - most of their trainers are inked up.

I honestly think there's money to be made opening a gym that's equipped like Gold's but has no tattoo restrictions.
 
The only gyms that will allow you to work out with tattoos uncovered are some of the ward gyms, unless you want to join a fight training gym - kickboxing, boxing, etc. - most of their trainers are inked up.

I honestly think there's money to be made opening a gym that's equipped like Gold's but has no tattoo restrictions.
Go for it. Combine it with a tattoo parlor and call it Iron and Ink.
 
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The only gyms that will allow you to work out with tattoos uncovered are some of the ward gyms, unless you want to join a fight training gym - kickboxing, boxing, etc. - most of their trainers are inked up.

I honestly think there's money to be made opening a gym that's equipped like Gold's but has no tattoo restrictions.

I've never even considered that, but I think you're really on to something !

I feel like owning a gym would be such a dream of a life, even working at one seems like a really fun job.

Let's do it lol ! We could have a membership package for visitors that is more reasonable than 3100 / day, Maybe 2500 your first day, then 500 the proceeding days you're in town. Maybe also a cheaper joining package with somewhat limited hours for the first month for people who've never joined our gym before, and then after that month, they can choose between the non-limited packages.

Also, instead of banking on the well meaning people who buy memberships but never come, we could have little automated texts sent to phones gently urging them to come in.

Lastly, and most importantly, we'd need lots of beautiful, fit women in very tight spandex bending about the place.
 
I feel like owning a gym would be such a dream of a life, even working at one seems like a really fun job.

Let's do it lol ! We could have a membership package for visitors that is more reasonable than 3100 / day, Maybe 2500 your first day, then 500 the proceeding days you're in town. Maybe also a cheaper joining package with somewhat limited hours for the first month for people who've never joined our gym before, and then after that month, they can choose between the non-limited packages.

instead of banking on the well meaning people who buy memberships but never come, we could have little automated texts sent to phones gently urging them to come in.

Lastly, and most importantly, we'd need lots of beautiful, fit women in very tight spandex bending about the place.

Cool concept, a change in lifestyle and hot ladies in tight spandex all around — what’s not to like?
I’ll sign up for that.
 
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I've never even considered that, but I think you're really on to something !

I feel like owning a gym would be such a dream of a life, even working at one seems like a really fun job.

Let's do it lol ! We could have a membership package for visitors that is more reasonable than 3100 / day, Maybe 2500 your first day, then 500 the proceeding days you're in town. Maybe also a cheaper joining package with somewhat limited hours for the first month for people who've never joined our gym before, and then after that month, they can choose between the non-limited packages.

Also, instead of banking on the well meaning people who buy memberships but never come, we could have little automated texts sent to phones gently urging them to come in.

Lastly, and most importantly, we'd need lots of beautiful, fit women in very tight spandex bending about the place.

Rizap is making a killing. Copy them. Sell the promise of being thin. Everything else is meaningess.
 
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All this flat belly body Nazi bullshit is ruining the country. A real man has a belly and he is proud of it.
 
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Lastly, and most importantly, we'd need lots of beautiful, fit women in very tight spandex bending about the place.

You need to prepare for every male member of your club to be hurt seriously in the first week after opening. Nothing is more dangerous than seeing a hot girl bend over just when you are doing the last reps of your heaviest set.
 
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You need to prepare for every male member of your club to be hurt seriously in the first week after opening. Nothing is more dangerous than seeing a hot girl bend over just when you are doing the last reps of your heaviest set.

Maybe we can staff some masseuses for that very purpose. HE optional.
 
I think you are missing the point. If they could post a sign saying "Bad people please stay away" that would of course be the easiest way for everyone. But they cannot.

So they get to the second option which is to deny entry from everyone with a tattoo. Now everyone with a tattoo is not yakuza but every yakuza has a tattoo. So it works as long as you don't care about the collateral damage. And they don't.

Even if they did there is little they can do. As soon as they start separating the artistic hippies from the hit-men they open the Pandora's box and everyone without a little finger would claim their tattoo is done in art school by their best friend in the memory of their sweet grandma.
Well, a huge portion of western people except Eastern and Southern Europeans (because our families would probably excommunicate us if we went home with a sleeve) have at least a couple of tattoos here and there. It has become quite the norm for gaijin to have tattoos these days and not sure if gaijin are allowed to become yakuza :D (some may have affiliations tho)
 
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Well, a huge portion of western people have at least a couple of tattoos here and there.

Well, if they allowed Western people with tattoos while not allowing Japanese people with tattoos that would be racist, right? :D

But yeah, it is possible for a foreigner to join in and there have been some. My rental agreement states I cannot be affiliated with them, and that's the only reason I haven't joined yet.