But underneath the pressed blazers and polished loafers, a vast canvas of inked skin hidden in plain sight straddles the line between art and taboo.
Due to the explosive proliferation of yakuza films in Japan, many with just a passing understanding of irezumi – the Japanese term for all tattoo styles – would associate the art form with the notorious crime syndicate. This has cemented wabori, which refers to Japanese style tattooing, as a “mark of disaffiliation” from conventional society and a taboo subject amongst many in Japan today. The stigma and cultural aversion surrounding tattoos is so strong that those who adorn themselves with tattoos, referred to as irezumi no kata, or tattooed person, find themselves turned away from public establishments like bathhouses, pools, beaches, gyms, and even some restaurants due to their perceived affiliation with deviancy and crime. The modern Japanese perception of tattoos has complicated its standing as an art form, but to understand the struggle between taboo and art, there is a need to understand the numerous purposes and cultural implications of tattoos over the course of the nation’s history.
Historical Associations with Deviancy
The notion that tattoos are synonymous with the underbelly of society is one shared by many countries around the world, but in Japan, such an aversion might have originated in China, where tattoos were first introduced for punitive purposes. The term , which translates to “inserting ink”, started becoming more frequently used in the 1720s was enforced by the ruling class as a means to brand criminals based on the severity of their crimes. The marks would range from a simple line around the forearm to a on the forehead and were intended to make criminals easily recognisable to the public. The marked the beginning of the association between tattoos and crime, but by then, tattoos had already gained a reputation as a symbol of deviancy.
