Tattoos

[Lodekim]

I can give some personal experience on what you'll see with tattoos in Japan, but as for why they would ask, my best guess would be for placement. In my experience tattoos are fine in cities (at least the more westernized cities that I've been to, since I've only been to Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, and it was winter in Kyoto and Osaka so I only had my tattoos visible at night clubs).

Tattoos definitely have some negative associations, as Cliodhna mentioned they traditionally are related to Yakuza. You'll still see a fair number though in some cities. I saw several in the few times I've been to Tokyo. If you have some you'll probably get some stares, but it probably won't be much more than you would get for any other interesting feature (really blond hair or red hair, really tall, etc). I have a few small tattoos on my forearm and a middle sized one on my shoulder and at least in Tokyo I never had a problem. I saw one guy kind of staring on the train and the capsule hotel I stayed at technically had a no tattoos policy in their bath, but I was told it was okay if I covered it and after seeing a Japanese man with an uncovered tattoo in the bath I just didn't bother and no one cared.

I've also spoken with multiple younger Japanese people who are in the US (19-21 year old exchange students and 30-35 year old women who are here because their husbands have jobs in the US) and it seems the view of tattoos are changing a bit. Admittedly they seem to be from more urban areas (Kyoto, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka) but in their opinion, western style tattoos are essentially a non-issue to everyone they know, maybe even are considered stylish. You'll almost certainly have to cover them at some places like Onsen, public baths, and gyms, and some will probably refuse you service, but I don't imagine you need to expect a big scene.

I would absolutely advise making sure you have a way to cover them. Since I have a set of 5 small tattoos on my forearm I fully plan to wear long sleeved shirts year round in school if I get a position unless I am explicitly told by my CO that they don't mind if I show the tattoos without me having to ask. I recommend the same to others, just because it would be the polite thing to do. I saw a post here two years ago (I think from a coordinator but it's been a while) when I applied the first time saying they do not discriminate in hiring based on whether you have a tattoo and I wouldn't personally say you should get it removed. If you expect to stay in Japan a long time you might eventually consider it, but from what I've seen the cremes don't fully remove them (they leave them very faint but visible) and lasers are expensive, painful, and take multiple sittings.

Good luck to those who applied, and if I make it in and so do you I'd love to see the work that the other people with tattoos have, and I'd love to keep in touch about the way that they influence our experiences.

[Narcheska]

The tattoo question may indeed come up because of the disease risk involved with the process of getting one. Is it TB? I know that there is the risk of AIDS, Hepatitis and other blood-born diseases. Same reason they make us get a chest xray. Seems pointless, but apparently it isn't to Japan. They'll probably make us get blood tests next...

None of the JETs that I knew - hundreds - had any problems with their tattoos. Some had to cover them, which is understandable. A lot of schools in Australia require that of teachers also. It's about setting an example.

I have a kanji on my ankle, so, easily hidden. I told my school as soon as I arrived and asked if I need to cover it - they weren't fazed. It was small and not obvious, so they were more interested than anything. A lot of kids did big slides sideways at their desks during my self introduction lessons though, and pointed it out to their teacher. I then had to explain, much to their hilarity, why I had the character for 'carp' on my ankle... Yet another wonderful quirk of their resident gaijin

Another JET in my city had a small wrist tattoo. It wasn't a problem at either of her schools or our BOE. Both our designs were simple and non-graphic though.

Two Americans I knew from nearby on another program had big arm and thigh tattoos done while they were over there. Had to be covered at work. Not outside work though. They just had to cover them sometimes with towels in onsens, particularly in female onsens. It wasn't because of Yakuza leanings, more that it was considered a little bit vulgar/tasteless. Particularly on a woman. We're strange enough in our regular, gaijin skins, let alone with anything else on us.

[Chez1986]

I know this thread is for questions about tattoos and covering them up ect. But what about large (ish) operational scars? In a public onsen would you also be asked to cover those up? I have a bigish scar visible on my side from a Kidney transplant. Anybody any ideas?

[Cliodhna]

Is it TB?

TB is airborne- it's like the flu on steroids.

[VonD]

Hey guys, this is my first time posting on the official forums (I more frequently post on ITIL ) s please excuse me if I speak out of turn.

I have tattoos and this is my second year of applying (I failed to make it to interview last year), when I applied last year I emailed the Embassy in London to tell them of my tattoos and if this would effect my application and they gave me a response along these lines. ..

Thank you for your e-mail and further information regarding your tattoos. Tattoos do have negative connotations within Japanese society, therefore if you were selected for the JET Programme you would be expected to keep these covered at all times both during and outside of work. It may also be difficult to find a contracting organisation in Japan who would be happy to employ you with you tattoos, although we have had varying experiences of this in the past. These issues would be discussed should you be called to interview.

Please note that this issue will not affect your application to the JET Programme at this stage, but would be assessed by interviewers should you be called in for interview.

Kind regard

As i say this was from last year.

I have sleeves (both arms and one leg) plus a chest, torso and a back tattoo. However these are completely hidden with a long sleeve shirt.

I think having to mention tattoos on the medical form is a really good idea by JET this year, particularly for people who have large tattoos because if you dont mention it you could be in for a rough time if you get placed within a really traditional area, plus constantly worrying about whether your covered up could cause added stress you dont need with a new job in a new country !

I also took the opportunity, when mentioning my tattoos on my medical form, to mention the fact that in my family tattoos are a sort of tradition. All the men in my family have tattoos, and with a large military/naval tradition, its almost expected. So I'm hoping that JET can understand that and put me through to interview. Im hopnig that was a good move haha


Someone aboved mentioned scars? I asked the same question on ITIL last year as I have skin grafts to both my knees, a large surgical scar from a collar bone fixation and a very prominent scar on my hand/finger from having it partially rebuilt (aahh the trials of a motorcyclist . . . ) I was assured by several members that people wont really care if you have scars, particularly surgical ones, as they had seen many Japanese with scarring etc. Scars are just burdens some of us have to bear it would seem, whatever are origins

[Antonath]

The only scar-like issue I can think of that might affect your chances would be missing fingers, or parts of them. And for the same reason as the tattoos...

[Eigen]

For scars, I know for a fact that I've seen a number of male Japanese in onsen with very visible scars, from burns or accidents. I've never heard of anyone having to cover them up, and those I have seen, I've chatted with. Never any open or healing wounds at all though, they were all fully healed. I haven't seen anyone with any kind of cast or anything remotely related to accidents either. Only those who are 'undamaged'.

Tattoos though, are hard to explain about how much of a taboo it really is. My favorite example was going to Nagashima Spaland (An onsen, waterslide park, and rollercoaster park all in one, it's awesome!!!). You can't get remotely close to the waterslides without seeing huge signs saying how you're not allowed around the waterslides, pools, onsens or showers with tattoos. They even showed big thugs wearing bandages and a huge cross through it, they had a no tolerance policy. We had one friend who joined us with a largeish tattoo on her back. She wore her shirt and when they asked her to remove it, we played the ignorant foreigners and said we didn't understand. They let us slide and we didn't run into any more trouble. But they are VERY specific on how they didn't accept people with tattoos.

When you look at JET, I can understand their reservations. We're teachers and public servants. When I arrived I had a VERY long discussion over my duties as a rural JET and a public servant and the image I should uphold (it gets repetitive after JET orientation and your embassy meetings, trust me). But this position is special, and image matters here.

I'd say bring your tatts, share them if you want, I personally love the idea and want one before I leave. But don't be surprised when people judge you in a negative light for having one.

[Antonath]

Something else to remember is that because we are teachers and public servants, we're harder to get rid of. Unless we actually break laws, the worst thing they can do is not recontract us. However, I've heard of more than one private ALT who was fired pretty much instantly for - intentionally or accidentally - revealing their tattoos in public. Our JET status just means we're harder to remove, not that they won't have the same reaction.

[Crowbeak]

Teachers in Japan are more responsible for the moral upbringing of their students than are parents. This is likely a result of the influence of Confucianism on Japanese society. As such, even though western-style tattoos are gradually becoming more acceptable if they can easily be hidden, a native Japanese teacher's career could be ruined if they got a tattoo and people found out about it. The stigma is still strong, and since the students look to their teachers as examples of outstanding citizens, things like tattoos and piercings both are things most Japanese teachers wouldn't even consider getting.

JET ALTs are often super popular with their students, seen as being very cool. It's reasonable to think that a CO might be concerned about the effect of the ALT having tattoos on the impressionable minds of young people. As such, a CO in a less accepting community may bery well be justified in requesting that they get an ALT with no tattoos. It's discrimination, yes, but not necessarily intended as a condescending judgement. Most of us will return to our home countries and plop right back into a society that won't care one whit about our tattoos as long as they're hidden, with little to no consequence if someone accidentally finds out outside of work. However, these students will probably live the rest of their lives in a society that treats tattoos very differently.

Speaking as someone who puts a lot of thought into what tattoos I want (to the point that in spite of years of consideration I only have one so far), I don't even want my students to know I have it. It seems like getting a tattoo is a much weightier decision here on top of the personal expression that tattoos are by nature. I would rather my students come into that decision on their own.

Random related side note: some of the COs make strange or very specific requests. Apparently there's a town in Hokkaido that only wants female ALTs who come from Alberta in Canada.

[fiori]

When I was at the London orientation (the pre departure training) a couple of years ago I met another ALT who had recently got a new tattoo on his upper arm. He had long sleeves on so you couldn't really see it, but he showed it to me at one point and it was amazingly done, if slightly NSFW in some ways (there was no nudity though). Later on in the day he was requested to talk to someone on the phone whilst we were in one of the training sesson. Later on he said that it was someone quite high up from the government office/Jet organisation (I forget which) and he was told that they had noticed his new tattoo at the orientation and as he had not stated that he was getting a tattoo during his application process, then they may have to disqualify him from the program. Anyhow I never saw the guy in Tokyo and didn't notice his name on that big list of incoming JETs.... Bear in mind that this was aobut 1 month before departure

He was a nice guy and I hope that he did get in, and you never know maybe he did.

In other news, I noticed that this year new applicants had to state whether they have any tattoo's, which may be an indication that incidents of "omg he/she has a tattoo" are wished to be avoided lest they need to cause disruption to an ALT's placement. So be warned but then again I could be wrong....

[Crowbeak]

When I was at the London orientation (the pre departure training) a couple of years ago I met another ALT who had recently got a new tattoo on his upper arm. He had long sleeves on so you couldn't really see it, but he showed it to me at one point...Later on he said that it was someone quite high up from the government office/Jet organisation (I forget which) and he was told that they had noticed his new tattoo at the orientation and as he had not stated that he was getting a tattoo during his application process, then they may have to disqualify him from the program.

Well... it was kind of silly of him to flash it at a JET function. I can easily see that having been taken as an indicator that when he got to Japan he would be indiscrete about it.

[rage_and_hairspray]

It would seem that, whilst they may be forgiving of a single small tattoo that's easily hidden, anything larger than, say, a quarter sleeve is going to mean you'll be rejected before interview.

If you have a small tattoo, you might be lucky, but anything larger and you probably shouldn't bother applying. Or you can just lie on the health form (for UK applicants).

[hatefulsandwich]

Wow, that's quite crazy to me. If a tattoo can be hidden, then I think it should be left at that. Even if this guy was flashing his tattoo around, I reckon they could have at least just given him a stern warning rather than disqualifying him outright.

I have quite a small tattoo on my wrist that I'm vaguely concerned about. I'm more than happy to keep it covered, though. I also have a large tattoo on the back of my head. Obviously it's not visible unless you go all simian on my head (which people often do when I talk about it). I would be very unimpressed if I was disqualified because its existence came to light. Fortunately we weren't asked about tattoos on our applications - it seems to be something only the UK applicants were asked about.

[RoBot]

it seems to be something only the UK applicants were asked about.

I agree- nothing in the Irish application about Tattoos. I asked a former JET at my Embassy about it and she said as long as it is coverable there will be no problem- phew! I have quite a few- only time they'd be visible would be at Onsen or beach methinks!

[EhimeDave]

it seems to be something only the UK applicants were asked about.

I agree- nothing in the Irish application about Tattoos. I asked a former JET at my Embassy about it and she said as long as it is coverable there will be no problem- phew! I have quite a few- only time they'd be visible would be at Onsen or beach methinks!

You will probably never be allowed into an onsen with "quite a few" tattoos.

Japanese people with quite a few tattoos will be expected to cover them even at the beach. I've seen some yakuza types on family trips to the beach get real creative ... But most likely you can get away with it at the beach because you're a foreigner. Just don't be surprised if all of a sudden the cops show up and ask you to leave because the beach has a no tattoo rule (you should check this).