Specifically, 56 percent said they have a ban in place, and 13 percent said they allow tattooed guests as long as they cover them up; 31 percent said they do allow guests with tattoos.
With foreign tourism starting to soar in Japan—traditionally domestic tourism has been a much bigger market share—the government wants to ensure all overseas visitors feel welcome.
The JTA offers several suggestions to spa operators for how best to implement the change so as to not frighten their Japanese guests, such as providing stickers to bathers to cover up their tattoos and setting special times when inked foreigners can use the facilities.
Historically in Japan—from about the Kofun period (300-600 AD) to the Edo period (1600-1868)—tattoos were branded on criminals as a kind of Scarlet Letter, although the practice fluctuated over time. During the Edo period, decorative tattooing as an art form became a fashionable thing, but in the Meiji period (1868-1912), tattoos were banned outright and thus became associated with criminal elements, which has carried forward until today.
