Japanese Spas Have Been Asked to Relax a Tattoo Ban So More Foreigners Can Use Them | TIME
▻http://time.com/4263931/japan-spa-onsen-tattoo-tourists
Japan’s tourism agency has asked spas to welcome foreign tourists with tattoos, in the hope that a relaxed policy will allow more visitors to enjoy the traditional baths.
The unwritten ban on tattooed people bathing in onsen comes from a strong association in Japan between body art and criminality. Operators should consider, however, that non-Japanese wear tattoos for decorative, cultural or religious reasons, a tourism official said Thursday, according to the Japan Times.
The agency proposed a series of solutions onsen might try to help respect local customs while welcoming foreigners, including stickers to cover tattoos and separate bathing times for visitors with ink.