How do Japanese women face tattoos and piercings?

Unlike western countries, which are making the practice of tattooing and piercings more and more common, in Japan, these are still considered big taboos. In the past, in Japanese lands, the tattoo was a way to mark prisoners, and over time, it became one of the biggest symbols of the Yakuza, the great Japanese mafia.

In the lands of the rising sun, people who wear tattoos can even be barred from public places such as clubs, public baths and others. Piercings are also not left out, despite not being so associated with the Japanese mafia. However, as it is a country where discipline speaks louder, people tend not to use this type of accessory, for fear of marginalization or worse.

even the holes in the ear, which are so common in our country, even in men, are totally unmotivated, especially in schools. Japanese students must follow strict rules regarding their appearance and behavior, being prevented even from dyeing their hair in a color other than good old black.

This is quite portrayed in manga (Japanese comics), where some students are seen as marginal, for changing their natural hair color, for getting tattoos or piercings. The manga known as Horimyia shows exactly this taboo, when one of the main characters, known as Izumi Myiamura, has to constantly hide his own body in a winter uniform, for fear of being judged by his peers, or even expelled from the world. school.

All this fear is due to the fact that he has some tattoos all over his body, and some piercings, which he hides with his big hair. Although it doesn't seem like a big deal to us, this story shows us, how the vast majority of Japanese men and women face tattoos and piercings.

For adults, it's not so different, as the use of piercings and tattoos at work is seen as something unethical and unprofessional. Fortunately, these more... rebellious people can find a bit of refuge in large urban centers, where there is a bit more cultural diversity, and various tribes mix and often respect each other. 

Ever wondered why Japanese women don't shave their pubic hair? Click below to also read our article: Why Japanese women don't usually shave.

Tattoo in Japanese - what does Japan think about tattoos?

Even foreigners suffer from this taboo?

Well, some say that this marginalized look at people who wear piercings or tattoos only happens to Japanese people. However, there have been cases of famous foreigners who had to hide their tattoos, due to the prejudice of the Japanese.

Anyone who thinks that this only happens with large tattoos is wrong, because even small ones can guarantee an offensive look from some more conservative Japanese. To take an example, in 2015, a renowned journalist said she was embarrassed in a public swimming pool, showing a tattoo measuring just 8 cm.

Despite being a big taboo, we can see that little by little it is being broken, even in a society that values its own precepts as much as Japan. Anyway, we hope you enjoyed this article. To the next!

If you want to know more about it, we recommend reading our full article on tattoo in Japan.

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