Quote:
Originally Posted by redline
I have tried to remain neutral on this subject, but I feel its is time for me to say something. Tenchu, having tattoos, and being a practitioner of muay thai myself I completely agree with you that tattoos should be accepted everywhere and by everyone especially those of religious meaning. But, this argument isn't supposed to be about people that don't accept tattoos. This argument is about onsens that turn tattooed people away. Just because they turn you away doesnt mean that they don't accept you or your tattoos, what they dont accept is the said yakuza, and the only way to keep them out without causing trouble is to ban ALL people with tattoo's from the onsen, and is not meant as an insult or a way to discriminate people with tattoos. I hope that you can change your mind about the Japanese people because how can they accept our culture if we can't accept theirs, "do onto others as you wish others to do onto you".
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That's a good point Redline. Outside of the onsen setting, those very people who said 'sorry, no entry' might well be very accommodating of a person and their tattoos. There's a further line of distinction between the rules of the business and personal preference. You never know, onsen owners who do allow in those with tattoos might get a lot of grief from communities surrounding them or their contemporaries, as owning a 'hotbed for yakuza' and 'bringing down the standards of the tradition' and so forth. Their personal preferences and opinions might be quite different.
I think the point about the celebs with tattoos is a good point as well, but at the same time, Onsen and V-kei are aimed at very different audiences. I'd met plenty of young Japanese who had never been to an onsen, or even to a temple, but listened to rock music, and the exact reverse amongst the older generations. In short, I don't think celebs with tattoos tend to be the staple of the grannies and salarymen who ARE the staple of onsen. As for the adult film actress, well, but no matter how successful you are in that profession, it's still surrounded by an air of sleaze and considered a bit 'dirty'. In fact, she could technically be damaging the general view of women with tattoo's by marking them as porn actresses and loose women.
Anyway, I think it's fair to say that opinions towards tattoos might be changing, but that might not be a wholly universal change in Japan; just certain demographics.