Tattoo in the Onsen
Posted on 14. Jan, 2005 @ 9:08 pm by harvey in Culture
In Japan public baths, and Onsen (Hot Springs) often have
policies that people with tattoos cannot use the facilities.
“IREZUMI – DEISUI NO KATA NO NYUUYOKU HA, GOENNRYOUKUDASAI.”
This roughly translates into..
“Persons with Tattoos, or who have consumed a heck of a lot of alcohol, please refrain from entering the onsen.”
Heh.
My friend entered anyway. Some other Japanese friends tell me
that these signs aren’t necessarily meant to keep people with small little fashionable tatoos like this out of the onsen.
The real purpose is to keep out Yakuza, who tend to have full body tattoos’
like this…
Here are some Yakuza movies if you’re interested…
Because Tattoo = Yakuza, and Yakuza in Onsen = Scared customers.
Gotta protect the “WA” 和。
-Harvey
One Response to “Tattoo in the Onsen”
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Lockeblog » Onsen
Oct 23rd, 2006
at 18:17
[...] Para acabar el día, hemos estado en un Onsen, los baños termales típicos japoneses. Tan típico era, que para nada era lo que nos esperábamos . Pero eso sí, ¡hemos podido ver a nuestro primer Yakuza! No solo verlo, nos hemos bañado en pelotas con él . Por razones obvias no he podido tomarle una foto, pero en japón los tatuajes de cuerpo entero no dejan lugar a dudas (de hecho, en muchos Onsen no dejan entrar a gente tatuada, para evitar que los clientes se asusten) [...]