Tattoos

[ladama]

what the .. is it even legal to ask about tattoos? putting it under the medical section seems shady, and if i were applying i would totally view that as a way to discriminate against me. if they are easily hidden, then i would lie. not like they could ever find out.

I agree, this is pretty clearly discriminatory. What "medical" reason do they have for asking this? I'm going to guess a few too many tattooed JETs tried to jump into an onsen or the school pool, the COs were embarrassed and are now telling CLAIR they want ALTs with no tattoos.

This could also be considered an invasion of privacy, since a JET's future CO receives a copy of his or her full application, meaning right away anyone who reads it (supervisors, principals, etc) will know about the ALTs tattoos.

I could see JET asking people to disclose any tattoos that would NOT be easily covered by everyday work clothes. But for anything easily hidden, JET should add a blurb about tattoos (make sure they're not visible at work, be prepared to cover them at pools and onsen) to the Handbook or some orientation material and call it good.

[ksenia]

It's listed on the UK JET site under the medical section, I think. Do you think it would be okay to leave them off the application? I'd hate to be discriminated against because of a few daft mistakes I made as a youngster when they can't even be seen unless I want to show them (which I never do). I'd prefer the interviewer to not even know about them and judge me on my abilities rather than have a lingering doubt about me because I have a few tattoos.

Just a thought: you can always remove your tattoos if you choose too. It sounds as you have second thoughts about having them.

[Namisuke]

what the .. is it even legal to ask about tattoos? putting it under the medical section seems shady, and if i were applying i would totally view that as a way to discriminate against me. if they are easily hidden, then i would lie. not like they could ever find out.

This could also be considered an invasion of privacy, since a JET's future CO receives a copy of his or her full application, meaning right away anyone who reads it (supervisors, principals, etc) will know about the ALTs tattoos.

FYI, there seems to be a lack in privacy laws in Japan. My school was able to call the doctor I saw to get my diagnosis without my knowing. It was just a cold, but the doctor gave my school my information anyways. This would be a breach of privacy in Canada, but it seems okay here.

[ladama]

FYI, there seems to be a lack in privacy laws in Japan. My school was able to call the doctor I saw to get my diagnosis without my knowing. It was just a cold, but the doctor gave my school my information anyways. This would be a breach of privacy in Canada, but it seems okay here.

It's definitely true that contracting organizations can pry into a JETs life way more that what would be kosher in "western" countries. JET hopefuls should be prepared to be a bit on public display once they get to Japan, both at work and in their free time.

I still think it's questionable that they're asking people to list tattoos under the medical section of the app. Maybe it's a perfectly acceptable medical question in Japan, but (in this case) the interview and the hiring is taking place in the UK. I don't know which "privacy laws" apply to what and where, but it seems like a big gray area.

If it's a tattoo easily covered by everyday work cloths, I don't really understand why a CO needs to know about it.

[Namisuke]

It could possibly have something to do with the blood tests and x-rays. I was researching this out of interest, and there could be different tattoo issues depending on what colours are in the tattoo:

http://www.dermadoctor.com/article_The- ... s_113.html

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/ ... ekey=21341

There might be a new category with tattoos since they are SOOO popular and so many people have them. It is more than likely for medical reasons that they have that in the application.

What does the medical check state, exactly?

[uzakedihi]

Regarding using pools and onsen, do people think it would be alright if I covered my tattoo with a bandage?

[Incoherent]

Regarding using pools and onsen, do people think it would be alright if I covered my tattoo with a bandage?

I really don't think so. You have to wash before you can even go in to the onsen, imagine taking a potentially dirty bandage in there...

[happytofu]

If it helps, one of my friends frequents large-scale bath houses/onsen and they often just have her hold a towel over her tattoo.

I personally frequent smaller ryokan and hotels, where you end up being the only one (or only group) in the public bath/onsen and I presume a "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

[ladama]

Regarding using pools and onsen, do people think it would be alright if I covered my tattoo with a bandage?

I really don't think so. You have to wash before you can even go in to the onsen, imagine taking a potentially dirty bandage in there...

Nah, I've heard from several people with small tattoos that they would cover it up with a band-aid when they went to the onsen. Just need a good, water resistant band-aid. Plus it's not like there's any onsen police making sure you scrub every square inch of your body, you can get away a light rinse over the band-aid area.

[Romdeau]

Sounds like there is a hardcore taboo against tattoos in Japan...which isn't too surprising, but I didn't expect it could be potentially such a big issue outside of work (being forbidden from using public baths because of a tattoo? )

[ladama]

It could possibly have something to do with the blood tests and x-rays. I was researching this out of interest, and there could be different tattoo issues depending on what colours are in the tattoo:

http://www.dermadoctor.com/article_The- ... s_113.html

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/ ... ekey=21341

There might be a new category with tattoos since they are SOOO popular and so many people have them. It is more than likely for medical reasons that they have that in the application.

What does the medical check state, exactly?

From the Aspiring UK JET thread

Question 10: Give details of any other health-related issues, in particular if you suffer from any type of disability (e.g. legally blind, hearing impaired, confined to a wheelchair, certified dyslexia, pending medical treatment etc). Candidates who have tattoos and / or body piercings, please describe the details of the location and the size in this section as well. Please have your doctor fill out the Statement of Physician, except for tattoos and body piercings. Candidates with certified dyslexia must provide a copy of the certificate received from their specialist

It even says right there you don't have to have a doctor sign off on the tattoos, nor are they asking what colors were used in the tattoo, so I really don't think the health effects of tattoos is what JET/the COs are concerned about.

[uzakedihi]

Question 10: Give details of any other health-related issues, in particular if you suffer from any type of disability (e.g. legally blind, hearing impaired, confined to a wheelchair, certified dyslexia, pending medical treatment etc). Candidates who have tattoos and / or body piercings, please describe the details of the location and the size in this section as well. Please have your doctor fill out the Statement of Physician, except for tattoos and body piercings. Candidates with certified dyslexia must provide a copy of the certificate received from their specialist

I'm sorry but where exactly does it say this? I'm currently looking at the copy I made of my Health form and it doesn't say anything about tattoos or piercings.

10. Please explain any other health-related issues or disabilities. (ex. Legally blind, hearing impaired, confined to wheelchair, pending medical treatment etc.)

In Ireland I think it's illegal to ask such things on an application form (it violates laws of equal employment), so that might have something to do with it.

[Incoherent]

Regarding using pools and onsen, do people think it would be alright if I covered my tattoo with a bandage?

I really don't think so. You have to wash before you can even go in to the onsen, imagine taking a potentially dirty bandage in there...

Nah, I've heard from several people with small tattoos that they would cover it up with a band-aid when they went to the onsen. Just need a good, water resistant band-aid. Plus it's not like there's any onsen police making sure you scrub every square inch of your body, you can get away a light rinse over the band-aid area.

Either way, I'd just ask the people running the place if it'd be alright for you to go in with them. I've seen some people allowed when it's quiet but others turned away. I even saw a man with a huge dragon tattoo on his back in there once, but he was soon asked to leave when customers began complaining.

[ladama]

Question 10: Give details of any other health-related issues, in particular if you suffer from any type of disability (e.g. legally blind, hearing impaired, confined to a wheelchair, certified dyslexia, pending medical treatment etc). Candidates who have tattoos and / or body piercings, please describe the details of the location and the size in this section as well. Please have your doctor fill out the Statement of Physician, except for tattoos and body piercings. Candidates with certified dyslexia must provide a copy of the certificate received from their specialist

I'm sorry but where exactly does it say this? I'm currently looking at the copy I made of my Health form and it doesn't say anything about tattoos or piercings.

10. Please explain any other health-related issues or disabilities. (ex. Legally blind, hearing impaired, confined to wheelchair, pending medical treatment etc.)

In Ireland I think it's illegal to ask such things on an application form (it violates laws of equal employment), so that might have something to do with it.

This is a quote from a UK applicant. As far as I can tell, the UK is the only country that asked about tattoos and piercings this year, at least I haven't seen any applicants from any other country mention it.

[Cliodhna]

Tattoos in Japan are very much a trademark of the Yakuza, even if you're not japanese and completely innocent-looking. A bit like wearing sunglasses. Tattoos are generally not ok in the onsen. There are a few onsen that are ok as long as you cover them up with a towel, as others have said. I've got a friend who's currently working in some schools in Japan (not through jet, and they're not eikaiwa), and she's got tattoos up and down her arms, back, and other places. She regularly wears long sleeved shirts, or shirts with dark colored sheer sleeves, and you'd never really know she had them (or had them to the extent that she does). As someone else mentioned, it's very much a don't-ask-don't-tell policy. If JET's asking about tattoos and piercings, it's probably to accommodate for this slight difference in places that absolutely do not hire people with tattoos and who do as long as they're completely covered. I don't think they're using it as a way to disqualify people. Odds are the schools taking JETs realize they're hiring people from outside of Japan with different cultural values and standards and realize that tattoos are very possible and are prepared for that, but there are always the exceptions and that's probably what the question's accounting for.