We have to go beyond differences between countries and peoples. We want to respect Maori culture and customs. We urge hot spring inns and others here to understand their meaning.

Considering acceptance and normal tolerance in 2019 for 2020 (aka: Maori aren’t yakuza) is not particularly noteworthy and quite embarassing

Keep the bath clean, and dirty ugly graffiti out.

The ban is a prefectural ordinance? I always assumed they were imposed individually by the bathhouse operators.

JeffLee

Almost certainly it is not a prefectural decision. That would probably be illegal.

@iampersonalnow

Ah, the comment indicates it's a municipal decision. "the city is considering loosening..."

Why wouldn't that too be illegal?

Preventing people with tattoos from using any facility, baths or otherwise, is discrimination. Period.

How mindless do you have to be to not be able to differentiate between dragon or carp tattoo of the yakuzas and foreign tattoos ?

JeffLee

I LOVED ur renaming of me.

I would imagine that for a city to pass a law against tattoos would be quite something. But being that this is Japan and theres some pretty old fashioned ways...anything possible.

Whats hilarious to me is seeing all the onsens and hotels on social media declaring their town as “tattoo friendly” (only for the Rugby World Cup of course).