Tattoo
Many people have tattoos on their body as a fashion nowadays. However, if you have a 'tattoo' on your body, you may be refused entry to a hot spring bath in Japan. Sounds a bit odd, but behind this background is the fact that tattoos have traditionally indicated yakuza (violent gangsters) in Japan.
Going to a hot spring (in Japan), that means you are emotionally ready to be 'NAKED' in public. No swimwear. If it's a private hot spring bath or a tattoo-friendly hot spring, you are allowed. If the tattoo is a small one, which may be possible to cover up with a bandage, perhaps you may allowed. Now it's a controversial issue due to increasing number of visitors from overseas. It may change the rule in the near future, with the march of the times, but it's a still difficult to respond flexibly and appropriately.
Japan is a strange country. You may struggle to understand Japanese, because some Japanese women, especially old women including my mother, tend to be hesitate to wear skimpy outfits, but they are ok to be naked in the public bath. In a sense, Japan is a naked society. :) We have a phrase 'hadaka no tsukiai', which literally means 'naked relations/ friendships', which means relaxing in the bath makes you feel easy to share your true thoughts or feelings and to speak frankly to each other.
Going to a hot spring (in Japan), that means you are emotionally ready to be 'NAKED' in public. No swimwear. If it's a private hot spring bath or a tattoo-friendly hot spring, you are allowed. If the tattoo is a small one, which may be possible to cover up with a bandage, perhaps you may allowed. Now it's a controversial issue due to increasing number of visitors from overseas. It may change the rule in the near future, with the march of the times, but it's a still difficult to respond flexibly and appropriately.
Japan is a strange country. You may struggle to understand Japanese, because some Japanese women, especially old women including my mother, tend to be hesitate to wear skimpy outfits, but they are ok to be naked in the public bath. In a sense, Japan is a naked society. :) We have a phrase 'hadaka no tsukiai', which literally means 'naked relations/ friendships', which means relaxing in the bath makes you feel easy to share your true thoughts or feelings and to speak frankly to each other.
