How did tattoos turn from Edo Period body art to being associated with the yakuza and criminal gangs?
Japan has an uncomfortable relationship with tattoos, which are associated with the yakuza and the criminal underworld of Japan.
We¡¯re joined by Japan Times contributor and former columnist Alice Gordenker, who hopes to challenge that stereotype, through a new documentary she¡¯s produced called ¡°Horimono: Japan¡¯s Tattoo Pilgrimage,¡± which follows the annual pilgrimage of the Choyukai, a group united by their full-body tattoos.
We discuss Alice¡¯s film, misconceptions about tattoos in Japan, and how tattoos turned from celebrated body art of the Edo Period to something thought of as a criminal accessory.
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Watch the film:
Read more:
- Japan¡¯s top court rules tattoo artists don¡¯t need medical license (The Japan Times)
- (Tattoo Friendly)
- Tokyo man fired by sushi restaurant over tattoo rumor seeks damages (The Japan Times)
- Loved abroad, hated at home: The art of Japanese tattooing (Jon Mitchell, The Japan Times)
- (Alex Martin, The Japan Times)
On this episode:
Alice Gordenker: | Articles |
Oscar Boyd: | Articles |
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