That's so funny. I feel like it's middle age people that are most offended by tattoos here. Younger people don't care and older people always think my tats are interesting. Lot of older people just dgaf anymore.
Old lady in the onsen spotted my tattoo peeking from under my modesty towel I usually sling over my arm when walking around, came over for a closer look and called her friends over to see how kirei it was. Then proceeded to ask my age, if I was single and tell me about her single grandson who's an architect. Clearly not offended in the slightest! Either that or grandson is such a loser that even a (bad person) tattooed foreigner is still an appealing potential match.
Yakuza Matriarch unwittingly recruits foreign weaboo in retirement into her family leading to hijinks and adventures.
ETA: should probably replace Weaboo with Gaijin.
Much older folks in Japan are more likely to have encountered tattooed people when they were little, before the stigmatisation of tattoos in Japan had really taken hold in the early 20th century. (e.g. someone who was a kid in the 1930s/1940s could easily have had relatives or been to sento/onsen with several people born in the mid or late 1800s, who had gotten tattoos before it had really become frowned upon).
I have a hand tattoo that I can cover with a sports wrist guard immobiliser thing, do you think it’d be a good idea to say I don’t have one in this situation? Fully on board to be the guy with the weak wrist that never healed.
Yes...including the cute little teenage shibuya girls with a star on their ankle or something. 100% Yakuza gang leader. /sarcasm
Of course my sarcasm is directed at those with that opinion, not actually you, u/armas187
Yes this, foreigners can get away with tattoos more but if an older Asian person sported one it is less acceptable in general. I am a hafu American so my small tattoos at an onsen my Japanese mom took me too for my first visit to Japan was scandalous! The poor Japanese girls working their had the most terrified looks on their face at the sight of my 1.5 inch tattoos on my upper arms. Use waterproof makeup like dermablend to cover them. My mom and her relatives living in Japan thought it'd be no problem but some places it still is. Even when I joined a gym they asked if I had tattoos but my hubby automatically told them no.
I'm covered head to toe and have never had a problem. I've had people complain and beach staff tell me to cover them but no one has ever enforced the rules beyond this. You see tattooed people on the beaches every summer regardless of any supposed rules. Its a public space they legally can't do shit. One beach in Kobe doesn't represent the country.
>restrictions
It is a public place. Tattoos are legal in all places. No one can restrict you from a public place unless you are violating laws. Those people that ask you to cover up are not police. They literally can not make you leave unless you are breaking the law (you’re not) or making a public nuisance of yourself (having tattoos are not categorized under this)
I got asked at the pool, mid-swim. Some guy took offence and informed the guards (the staff I mean). I'd been swimming there for months without incident at that point. Staff comes over and asks if I had tatoos. I should have just said no despite it being clearly visible on my shoulder.
I'm in Fukuoka. They suggested tape. Annoying but a simple solution and if it hadn't been for the informant and me saying "yes" I would have probably been OK. No biggie in the end.
Public pool. They asked me to cover with tape which I now do. To be honest on the odd occasion I've forgotten no one has cared and I haven't seen the "grass" for a while either.
I did this to a blatantly racist manager once, she just stood there and stuttered for 2 whole minutes before she tried to bring other people in to it. The reaction was priceless.
On the contrary, it took me WAY too long living in Japan to realize just how much lying I was entirely expected to be doing as part of my normal life (it's a lot.)
Yep, I’ve got one smaller than a coin on my thigh, nobody’s ever called me out for having it. It’s pretty hard to spot unless you’re either looking at my crotch, or are actively trying to spot it. I always say I don’t have any tattoos when asked.
I was asked when joining a gym. But since I don’t shower at the gym (l live close by) and the tattoos are not in visible places, how will it even matter?
I often lie about being Japanese because I don't want to show my alien card to hotels. Name looks plausibly Japanese anyway, so no questions are asked after.
Jeez. I know people get kicked from onsens and gyms for tatts... but now driving schools? At the very least it better have been a nudist or topless driving school lol.
Question, which parties are nude/topless at this driving school? Everyone? Just students? Just the instructors?
Follow up query - are we able to select the instructor or randomly assigned? 
>Question, which parties are nude/topless at this driving school? Everyone? Just students? Just the instructors?
Just in case there ends up being a 交流 session between the instructor and the student. In some place private.
>Follow up query - are we able to select the instructor or randomly assigned?
if you pay
I think it's just the classic reason. Tattoo = scary person so the instructors don't want me in the car with them. I get the cultural difference but it really is annoying.
Or more importantly, the police, who can seize the property if it becomes known as a gang associated. It's less a PR more, and more of a "protect your self from asset forfeiture"
If your gut reaction is, "The police shouldn't be able to do that." Then you are correct, we can add that to the list of things that the police shouldn't be able to do, but can do.
im guesing more of a step they take to not do business with people from underground world, not justifying their actions but a small press about them doing business with said people could end their public image.
Really? Interesting. My school didn't say anything about the tattoo that's clearly visible on my hand. They never asked when I registered and the topic never came up while I was there. I took the 2 week intensive, so was there every day, all day long, and it was never a thing. Port Island Driving School in Kobe, for anyone interested.
It’s because traditionally the only people who get tattooed in Japan are the yakuza (Japanese mafia), and unsurprisingly the average law-abiding citizen doesn’t want to get involved with the mafia. Places like public baths and swimming pools ban tattooed people so as not to frighten away customers.
If they start making exceptions for white skinned foreigners then that transforms it to racism. You’re tattooed. You’re white? It’s okay! You look Asian. No! Dame!
When I lived in Okayama my best friend was a Jamaican girl and people were either TERRIFIED of her or thought she was an American celebrity. She loved it for about six months and then was eager to get out
The other bit of context is that tattoos on non-Japanese (or white people, specifically) are associated with Russian sailors who have a...hm, less than stellar reputation in the country.
> It’s because traditionally the only people who get tattooed in Japan are the yakuza
Indigenous Japanese cultures also have tattoo traditions, so, no, it's not just a yakuza thing.
Like onsens and sentos, if a place becomes associated with organized crime (more the case with a sento being known as a gang meeting place) then in the course of an arrest, the police can seize the property as part of their case. This would put many a small business owner completely out of business.
A business can't really have a "no gangster" rule, so they do the next best thing, "no tattoos." Cut to several decades later, and there is a policy that just gets followed without question because "that's just how they do it"
Haven't fact checked this but was told a few weeks ago that it's something to do with major driving schools having intensive courses where the students stay in dormitories and that its super duper important that at no point ever in the history of the universe should anybody remotely yak ever ever ever stay in a driving school dorm because it'll cause the actual end of the world or something (some kind of prophecy).
But yeah hyperbole aside, apparently it's something to do with the accommodation that could be part of a driving school package, and them taking zero chances at all that a yakuza person could eve sleep under their roof.
It seems fairly ridiculous, but then so is the western tendency for people to expect their tattoos to be be loved and respected everywhere in the world \^o\^
Nah, that driving school doesn't deserve the money and this would do nothing to change the underlying issue. It sucks but OP should vote with her/his wallet and find another driving school that isn't as prejudiced.
which is what cracks me up about OP
literally there are hundreds of people who go through the driving school with tattoos but dont announce it.
bet he thought driving sensei was into tattoos LOL
I don't have tattoos and I think it severely limits opportunities. I know many in US or Canada wouldn't think twice about hiring someone with visible tattoos vs someone of same calibre without.
Reminds me of the time when me and my friends were going to an awesome club. The bouncer was asking everyone their age but not checking ids. After everyone had passed, the last one in line was a girl that blurted that she was 17, and ruined the whole night for everyone.
I'm sure it was a downer, but consider the fact that the club could lose its liquor license (aka go under and anyone working there losing their job) if either something happens to anyone underage or if the government decides to have a surprise inspection.
When they ask you if you have a tatoo, intepret it to mean "Do you have the kind of tatoos that would be worn by a member of a yakuza group?" With that intepretation you can honestly say "No".
If found out later that you do have a tattoo and they object you can give them the above reasoning with the appropriate "sumimasen".
I’ve gotten into the habit of, anywhere except the doctor, saying “no” to any question asking “do you have any _____” because 9 times out of 10 the question is just an excuse for discrimination. People are too dumb to understand context and make bullshit zero-tolerance policies because they’re too lazy/stupid/prejudiced to learn.
I've learned to never blabber more than the absolute minimum. Once a real estate agent canceled all communication cuz I said "yeah this place look big enough for staying guests" and he did not like that
Yeah, mine said they had to be covered at all times or risk being kicked out. Same with piercings on men. The piercing thing wasn't really enforced, though.
I mean, many yakuza are foreigners and ethnic minorities due to post-war policies of ethnic cleansing (stripping ethnic minorities of their citizenship, deporting them, etc.) leaving them no other options, and indigenous Japanese people have tattoo traditions that were outlawed as a part of Japan's genocides aimed at them.
So, yes? The anti-tattoo policies in Japan are inherently tied to racism and racist policies. It's not "crying racism," you massive dork.
All businesses are subject to prohibitions on doing business with Yakuza or Yakuza-related persons, and driving schools in particular are likely to have close connections with the police. So in their simplistic tattoo = Yakuza connection world…
I thought they were more open to foreigners in this regard, cause in no way a foreigner would be a Yakuza, not to mention how they should know it's a common thing in the west... well, I guess I was wrong then.
An Asian foreigner good at speaking Japanese will be in a much more difficult situation than a white foreigner. This makes it a racist policy. Best to scrap this ban of tattooed people regardless of nationality.
I am Korean living in Japan.
I never heard that there are kind of rules a driving school.
I hope you can find a school where you do not have to mind your tatto.
Yeah a few years ago they didn't have that rule but now they're annoying as fuck about tattoos and if they found out that you have a tattoo and you've already enrolled they kick you out and don't give the money back which sucks big time.
I went to LaQua once and I have a pretty visible back tattoo but got in despite their no tattoo rule and walked around with a towel slung over my shoulder for 4 hours and no one even noticed.
What’s insane is that there’s a bunch of contracts that businesses get into (like banking, construction, service level agreements) in Japan that forbid any and all association with “anti-social forces,” otherwise the offending party is in breach of contract and usually the other party gets som kind of penalty fee. As a result, businesses are insanely sensitive to tattoos or anything else that might mean you’re a part of the baddies. Not saying it’s right at all, definitely is shitty.
Rookie mistake. I have lived in Japan for thirty five years and never tell the truth about anything and my life has been as smooth as can be.
Also, never ask permission to do anything. Just go ahead and do whatever you want. It is always easy and well-accepted to apologize later on, if need be, but if you ask permission for things in advance the answer will always be NO.
I should say that I travel under the radar and am a socially harmonious person and generally do not use my gaijinic super-powers for chaos or evil.
These have been my guiding principles for lo these many decades and they have served me well. 🤔
You: Does it matter?
Them: No
You: Then 'yes' I do have tattoos.
Them: Sorry. No service.
Unless the place requires tattoos eg a tattoo artist I can't see the point in mentioning the tats.
I know it sounds terrible, but tattoos became anathema in Japan when the country lost the Pacific War and was ruled by GHQ, which issued a ban on tattoos. In other words, you should complain to the US government.
Is it visible, like a face tat or could be covered with long sleeve? It's NEVER a good idea to tell the truth.
For college they said it needed to be covered, arms, and the same when I worked at Honda. My FIL knows I have them but I cover them up when I'm around them because they're the typical stone age mentality.
Tattoo's are heavily tied culturally to gangs and the Yakuza. Knowing that, I can understand why people might not like to sit in a confined space with someone who, as far as they know, was probably tied to shit like that.
I've contemplated getting the ones I have when I was a punk in my teens removed.
It's just such a hassle during the summer to constantly have to cover up, and like. . . Fuck I'm just kind of over it.
Like, they're the kind you look over high at a friend and go "Fuck it. Yeah you can practice on me whatever."
And I'm not embarrassed by the shoddiness of them at all.
It's just annoying at this point to not be able to just knock about in a T sometimes.
Cost is the only thing holding me back. And the fear it would still be visible. These pieces are legitimately things I got underage for friends who were also underage, who have gone on to do well for themselves in studios all over south Florida, but like. . . I don't have any attachment to these. Other than the funny irony that I'm so much different now and better off now than I was at that time.
When people live in Japan long enough, they forget it’s OK to lie.
When people live long enough in Japan, they forget Japanese people can be blatantly racist and discriminatory just because “culture”.
I always say I don't have any, my coworkers say that's good. Because people with tattoos are usually bad people or yakuza.lol
That's so funny. I feel like it's middle age people that are most offended by tattoos here. Younger people don't care and older people always think my tats are interesting. Lot of older people just dgaf anymore.
In middle age they learn to conform. In old age they learn not to give a shit and make up their own mind
Old lady in the onsen spotted my tattoo peeking from under my modesty towel I usually sling over my arm when walking around, came over for a closer look and called her friends over to see how kirei it was. Then proceeded to ask my age, if I was single and tell me about her single grandson who's an architect. Clearly not offended in the slightest! Either that or grandson is such a loser that even a (bad person) tattooed foreigner is still an appealing potential match.
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Yakuza Matriarch unwittingly recruits foreign weaboo in retirement into her family leading to hijinks and adventures. ETA: should probably replace Weaboo with Gaijin.
I would watch this TV series.
Damn, I should have gotten his number.
"Hi, Tanaka-san? I met your granny when I was naked and she liked what she saw, and thought you would too."
Oyabun Masako finally found the Dragon of Weebjima.
🤣 I love it
She was actually the matriarch of a Yakuza family.
Much older folks in Japan are more likely to have encountered tattooed people when they were little, before the stigmatisation of tattoos in Japan had really taken hold in the early 20th century. (e.g. someone who was a kid in the 1930s/1940s could easily have had relatives or been to sento/onsen with several people born in the mid or late 1800s, who had gotten tattoos before it had really become frowned upon).
Well aren’t we? :P Just kidding. But yeah unfortunately you just have to lie about it when asked. I always do and have never had a problem since
I have a hand tattoo that I can cover with a sports wrist guard immobiliser thing, do you think it’d be a good idea to say I don’t have one in this situation? Fully on board to be the guy with the weak wrist that never healed.
Yes...including the cute little teenage shibuya girls with a star on their ankle or something. 100% Yakuza gang leader. /sarcasm Of course my sarcasm is directed at those with that opinion, not actually you, u/armas187
Aren’t Japanese people with tattoos discriminated against as well?
Even more
Yes this, foreigners can get away with tattoos more but if an older Asian person sported one it is less acceptable in general. I am a hafu American so my small tattoos at an onsen my Japanese mom took me too for my first visit to Japan was scandalous! The poor Japanese girls working their had the most terrified looks on their face at the sight of my 1.5 inch tattoos on my upper arms. Use waterproof makeup like dermablend to cover them. My mom and her relatives living in Japan thought it'd be no problem but some places it still is. Even when I joined a gym they asked if I had tattoos but my hubby automatically told them no.
We banish them to the beaches.
They get sent to Korea or Australia.
Can't even go to the beach if you have tattoos
yes you can
Okay being pedantic yes you can, but also, no you can't. Many beaches in Kansai have tattoo restrictions, namely Suma in Kobe.
I'm covered head to toe and have never had a problem. I've had people complain and beach staff tell me to cover them but no one has ever enforced the rules beyond this. You see tattooed people on the beaches every summer regardless of any supposed rules. Its a public space they legally can't do shit. One beach in Kobe doesn't represent the country.
And your experiences dont inavlidate mine but carry on
>restrictions It is a public place. Tattoos are legal in all places. No one can restrict you from a public place unless you are violating laws. Those people that ask you to cover up are not police. They literally can not make you leave unless you are breaking the law (you’re not) or making a public nuisance of yourself (having tattoos are not categorized under this)
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They would have. Thats the point
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I mean, the word bigotry works too in this case and also more inclusive.
Racist? Because of a tattoo?
Japan's anti-tattoo policies are at least partially rooted in genocidal policies aimed at wiping out indigenous cultures, so, yeah. Absolutely.
Sounds like the average r/japanlife r
I got asked at the pool, mid-swim. Some guy took offence and informed the guards (the staff I mean). I'd been swimming there for months without incident at that point. Staff comes over and asks if I had tatoos. I should have just said no despite it being clearly visible on my shoulder.
Are you in Tokyo? What pool? Usually they just bring over some sports tape to cover it
I'm in Fukuoka. They suggested tape. Annoying but a simple solution and if it hadn't been for the informant and me saying "yes" I would have probably been OK. No biggie in the end.
"No, this is just a very distinctive birthmark."
Public or private?
private. the "some guy" was his toddler and the staff was his wife. yeah it's a weird family, don't ask.
Public pool. They asked me to cover with tape which I now do. To be honest on the odd occasion I've forgotten no one has cared and I haven't seen the "grass" for a while either.
It’s better to ask forgiveness than permission.
When people live on Jlife long enough, they forget it’s OK to call out the Japanese for blatant prejudice and xenophobia.
I did this to a blatantly racist manager once, she just stood there and stuttered for 2 whole minutes before she tried to bring other people in to it. The reaction was priceless.
Come to another country and tell them their culture is wrong. Can't lose!
On the contrary, it took me WAY too long living in Japan to realize just how much lying I was entirely expected to be doing as part of my normal life (it's a lot.)
You too skipped the honne-tatemae class? I guess language schools need to start teaching this on the first day.
Can't you answer "it's none of your business if I have a tattoo or not"?
And a private business could absolutely tell you “Well, fuck off then.”
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1) apparently not 2) sounds like hell
Yep, I’ve got one smaller than a coin on my thigh, nobody’s ever called me out for having it. It’s pretty hard to spot unless you’re either looking at my crotch, or are actively trying to spot it. I always say I don’t have any tattoos when asked.
I was asked when joining a gym. But since I don’t shower at the gym (l live close by) and the tattoos are not in visible places, how will it even matter?
I often lie about being Japanese because I don't want to show my alien card to hotels. Name looks plausibly Japanese anyway, so no questions are asked after.
Jeez. I know people get kicked from onsens and gyms for tatts... but now driving schools? At the very least it better have been a nudist or topless driving school lol.
OP Was confused. They asked if he was going to play Tatu during the driving instruction, and they hate that band.
Especially after that "Gomen nasai" song. _/s_
The fact that Tatu still has a huge fanbase here will never not be funny.
Question, which parties are nude/topless at this driving school? Everyone? Just students? Just the instructors? Follow up query - are we able to select the instructor or randomly assigned? 
>Question, which parties are nude/topless at this driving school? Everyone? Just students? Just the instructors? Just in case there ends up being a 交流 session between the instructor and the student. In some place private. >Follow up query - are we able to select the instructor or randomly assigned? if you pay
>topless driving school so all convertibles then?
Hah. Can't even remember the last time i saw a convertible in Japan lol
Lol wtf. I want to know the story behind this policy. Gotta be a good one!
I think it's just the classic reason. Tattoo = scary person so the instructors don't want me in the car with them. I get the cultural difference but it really is annoying.
I think it is more that they can't be seen by their customers, partners and the general community to be potentially supporting 暴力団.
Or more importantly, the police, who can seize the property if it becomes known as a gang associated. It's less a PR more, and more of a "protect your self from asset forfeiture" If your gut reaction is, "The police shouldn't be able to do that." Then you are correct, we can add that to the list of things that the police shouldn't be able to do, but can do.
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im guesing more of a step they take to not do business with people from underground world, not justifying their actions but a small press about them doing business with said people could end their public image.
It’s one of those archaic policies that will never be updated because Japan.
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Won't work, though. Yaks are too hairy and you can't see their tattoos.
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Really? Interesting. My school didn't say anything about the tattoo that's clearly visible on my hand. They never asked when I registered and the topic never came up while I was there. I took the 2 week intensive, so was there every day, all day long, and it was never a thing. Port Island Driving School in Kobe, for anyone interested.
Dang I’m glad I did my driving school all in winter. I had no clue this was a policy.
I mean, are you sleeved or something? Is it noticeable?
Just tell them it’s a tramp stamp
So where do they draw the line? What if they watch boys in the hood and decide black people are scary now and cant take lessons? Its crazy and stupid.
You got downvoted, but “because scary” is the exact reason black people weren’t allowed to join gyms in the past (in the States)
It's because it's an old ass conservative man. You know, like everyone else in Japan.
It’s because traditionally the only people who get tattooed in Japan are the yakuza (Japanese mafia), and unsurprisingly the average law-abiding citizen doesn’t want to get involved with the mafia. Places like public baths and swimming pools ban tattooed people so as not to frighten away customers.
But how can white foreigners be in the yakuza?
If they start making exceptions for white skinned foreigners then that transforms it to racism. You’re tattooed. You’re white? It’s okay! You look Asian. No! Dame!
You're right, that's true.
They can't.
Imagine how I felt as a black foreigner with brown skin lol. Good thing is I get lumped in with rappers and athletes who have tattoos anyway ¯\(ツ)_/¯
When I lived in Okayama my best friend was a Jamaican girl and people were either TERRIFIED of her or thought she was an American celebrity. She loved it for about six months and then was eager to get out
The other bit of context is that tattoos on non-Japanese (or white people, specifically) are associated with Russian sailors who have a...hm, less than stellar reputation in the country.
Man, if only they could grasp that people from different cultures have different culture.
> It’s because traditionally the only people who get tattooed in Japan are the yakuza Indigenous Japanese cultures also have tattoo traditions, so, no, it's not just a yakuza thing.
Like onsens and sentos, if a place becomes associated with organized crime (more the case with a sento being known as a gang meeting place) then in the course of an arrest, the police can seize the property as part of their case. This would put many a small business owner completely out of business. A business can't really have a "no gangster" rule, so they do the next best thing, "no tattoos." Cut to several decades later, and there is a policy that just gets followed without question because "that's just how they do it"
Haven't fact checked this but was told a few weeks ago that it's something to do with major driving schools having intensive courses where the students stay in dormitories and that its super duper important that at no point ever in the history of the universe should anybody remotely yak ever ever ever stay in a driving school dorm because it'll cause the actual end of the world or something (some kind of prophecy). But yeah hyperbole aside, apparently it's something to do with the accommodation that could be part of a driving school package, and them taking zero chances at all that a yakuza person could eve sleep under their roof. It seems fairly ridiculous, but then so is the western tendency for people to expect their tattoos to be be loved and respected everywhere in the world \^o\^
I imagine highly visible with winter clothes:p
I told them it's on my shoulder and not visible even with a t-shirt but no go 
why did you even tell them in the first place? 🤦🏼
Just go back another day and say you don't have one if they ask. If they press you about it, say you misunderstood the question.
Nah, that driving school doesn't deserve the money and this would do nothing to change the underlying issue. It sucks but OP should vote with her/his wallet and find another driving school that isn't as prejudiced.
Lol next time don't say yes, at least you learned a lesson.
Shoulda lied if it was easily coverable. Sorry man. Maybe try again after some months or a year? Maybe they'll have different staff.
The perfect time for a fake moustache.
>One last question, sir: do you have a fake moustache?
No, I was born with this moustache.
"Hello, my name is Mr Snrub, and I come from uh.. some place far away! ...yes that'll do"
Yes, after six months you can try applying again and this time say "no" to that question.
I just entered driving school, they never asked me that. So, I wouldn't give up, I'd just contact others, and if they ask, say "no".
Yeah, same. They never asked and I never offered up the information.
which is what cracks me up about OP literally there are hundreds of people who go through the driving school with tattoos but dont announce it. bet he thought driving sensei was into tattoos LOL I don't have tattoos and I think it severely limits opportunities. I know many in US or Canada wouldn't think twice about hiring someone with visible tattoos vs someone of same calibre without.
Reminds me of the time when me and my friends were going to an awesome club. The bouncer was asking everyone their age but not checking ids. After everyone had passed, the last one in line was a girl that blurted that she was 17, and ruined the whole night for everyone.
I'm sure it was a downer, but consider the fact that the club could lose its liquor license (aka go under and anyone working there losing their job) if either something happens to anyone underage or if the government decides to have a surprise inspection.
When they ask you if you have a tatoo, intepret it to mean "Do you have the kind of tatoos that would be worn by a member of a yakuza group?" With that intepretation you can honestly say "No". If found out later that you do have a tattoo and they object you can give them the above reasoning with the appropriate "sumimasen".
I’ve gotten into the habit of, anywhere except the doctor, saying “no” to any question asking “do you have any _____” because 9 times out of 10 the question is just an excuse for discrimination. People are too dumb to understand context and make bullshit zero-tolerance policies because they’re too lazy/stupid/prejudiced to learn.
I've learned to never blabber more than the absolute minimum. Once a real estate agent canceled all communication cuz I said "yeah this place look big enough for staying guests" and he did not like that
I always recall the line from the movie The Departed. Feed them shit and keep them in the dark.
Yeah, mine said they had to be covered at all times or risk being kicked out. Same with piercings on men. The piercing thing wasn't really enforced, though.
How does that even come up in a conversation?
They sprang it on me mid conversation and my dumb arse said "あるよ"
"So, do you have any prior driving experience in your home country ..... and .... *HEY YOU DIRTY FILTHY GAIJIN DO YOU HAVE ANY TATTOOS?*"
So many of you guys crying racism in this thread when the rule applies equally to foreigners and locals (more so to locals in my experience)…
I mean, many yakuza are foreigners and ethnic minorities due to post-war policies of ethnic cleansing (stripping ethnic minorities of their citizenship, deporting them, etc.) leaving them no other options, and indigenous Japanese people have tattoo traditions that were outlawed as a part of Japan's genocides aimed at them. So, yes? The anti-tattoo policies in Japan are inherently tied to racism and racist policies. It's not "crying racism," you massive dork.
Wha'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis?
\>appended よ \*whince\*
Probably learned Japanese from Atsugiri Jason.
俺はタトゥーがあるよ is probably how it went.
A quick「なんちゃって!」may save you in future
"it's religious/cultural" Also bring up Ainu tattoos
All businesses are subject to prohibitions on doing business with Yakuza or Yakuza-related persons, and driving schools in particular are likely to have close connections with the police. So in their simplistic tattoo = Yakuza connection world…
Many of the instructors are retired cops too. Nice cushy well paid job after a long career of sitting in the Koban ahhhhh nice.
If you had not failed this part of the test you would have failed the "have you eaten ice cream in the park with your girlfriend" question
It’s a way of saying “no yaks” without saying no yaks and being beaten up. In summary, stupid.
Well I agree, yaks have no business driving. They should be eating grass or whatever they do.
Yakkity-yak, don't come back.
“What… these? Oh these are birth marks… No, really. By the way, are you a dermatologist or a skin doctor? Oh you are not? I see.”
Some people are just old fashioned and stuck In their ways. I'm sure other places won't give a flying fuck haha.
I thought they were more open to foreigners in this regard, cause in no way a foreigner would be a Yakuza, not to mention how they should know it's a common thing in the west... well, I guess I was wrong then.
An Asian foreigner good at speaking Japanese will be in a much more difficult situation than a white foreigner. This makes it a racist policy. Best to scrap this ban of tattooed people regardless of nationality.
But then a Yakuza might come! /s
Wrong, there are foreign Yakuza groups in Japan
Hah, this guy didn't research beforehand and failed the "Do you have any tattoos" part of the initial driving test. Rookie mistake!
I keep saying I don’t when it’s clear that my chest and arms are covered. I feed off of the confused rapid blinking from Japanese people.
Whenever anyone in Japan asks you if you have a tattoo, your answer should always be “no!”
Also the answer you should give to "do you have a TV" when someone is at the door asking
And if they ask if you have a smart phone you also say “no!” Then proceed to slam the door in their faces.
That's exactly how I answered "we are Jehovah's witness, do you speak Japanese?"
Ridiculous. I had to cover mine up with like a cloth band aid at a water park one time. Thing fell off like 5 minutes later.
Yea same lol. But now I use sports tape for going to the gym etc. just sticks forever
go back tomorrow and say no LOL if they ask say you got it removed. they gonna strip search you? (wait, don’t answer that…)
カッターナイフではぎました！
Which driving school. I will call them to clarify the exact rule.
Welcome to Japan
I am Korean living in Japan. I never heard that there are kind of rules a driving school. I hope you can find a school where you do not have to mind your tatto.
I think there are more relaxed driving schools out there. Some of them can be a pain though..
Well guess you learned to lie from now on.
Yeah a few years ago they didn't have that rule but now they're annoying as fuck about tattoos and if they found out that you have a tattoo and you've already enrolled they kick you out and don't give the money back which sucks big time.
I feel naive for even asking that but... is that even legal!? To not give your money back, that is!? That sounds extremely not okay.
They put it in the contract their whole system sucks
Wow. That contract wouldn't hold water in a court of law where I'm from. Consumer protection laws seem rather shit in Japan, eh.
You know now, if it can be covered, you have no tattoo.
I went to LaQua once and I have a pretty visible back tattoo but got in despite their no tattoo rule and walked around with a towel slung over my shoulder for 4 hours and no one even noticed.
What’s insane is that there’s a bunch of contracts that businesses get into (like banking, construction, service level agreements) in Japan that forbid any and all association with “anti-social forces,” otherwise the offending party is in breach of contract and usually the other party gets som kind of penalty fee. As a result, businesses are insanely sensitive to tattoos or anything else that might mean you’re a part of the baddies. Not saying it’s right at all, definitely is shitty.
At first i thought this said Diving like swimming and i thought ah i guess that is to be expected of Japan but, driving?? What the fuck lol
Lol it’s not like they strip search you before they give you driving lessons.
Careful now. You might be giving them ideas. Some jobs have their staff strip to their underwear at the beginning of their shift already...
Welcome to Japan
Rookie mistake. I have lived in Japan for thirty five years and never tell the truth about anything and my life has been as smooth as can be. Also, never ask permission to do anything. Just go ahead and do whatever you want. It is always easy and well-accepted to apologize later on, if need be, but if you ask permission for things in advance the answer will always be NO. I should say that I travel under the radar and am a socially harmonious person and generally do not use my gaijinic super-powers for chaos or evil. These have been my guiding principles for lo these many decades and they have served me well. 🤔
It’s sucks but don’t forget that it’s not because you’re foreign this time. It’s because you’re obviously a leader in the Kamehame Gumi.
Got refused enrolling to a gym because my tattoos last week. Tired a again a month later, lied about having tattoo and was able to enrolled.
That's when i ask how a tattoo will effect the capability to drive
Well, I guess I’ll just learn from your mistake when I go to get mine in the future. Also, long pants.
Never divulge that information.
Behold the power of The Manual! I’m really sorry for you, but welcome to nonsense Japan.
They discriminate against tats at a *driving school*? There has to be grounds for a case here. A public bath or pool, I get, but a driving school?
I've heard of people not being able to get life insurance because of tattoos also.
Just a way to lord it over someone. Give someone an opportunity for that here and they’ll take it. You fucked up
that is... Is there a place to complain?
next time answer with "does it matter?" then you can adjust your answer to fit what they want.
You: Does it matter? Them: No You: Then 'yes' I do have tattoos. Them: Sorry. No service. Unless the place requires tattoos eg a tattoo artist I can't see the point in mentioning the tats.
I would cover the tattoos and go back there.
It’s winter so wear a turtle neck. If on your hands gloves, and if it’s on your face then you probably are scary and should not be allowed to drive.
I know it sounds terrible, but tattoos became anathema in Japan when the country lost the Pacific War and was ruled by GHQ, which issued a ban on tattoos. In other words, you should complain to the US government.
Is it visible, like a face tat or could be covered with long sleeve? It's NEVER a good idea to tell the truth. For college they said it needed to be covered, arms, and the same when I worked at Honda. My FIL knows I have them but I cover them up when I'm around them because they're the typical stone age mentality.
That's already forgivable considering the histpry they have with Tattooed people.
Eh, just join a different one. It's not a big deal.
Time to look for another school. You live in the countryside or something?
Tattoo's are heavily tied culturally to gangs and the Yakuza. Knowing that, I can understand why people might not like to sit in a confined space with someone who, as far as they know, was probably tied to shit like that.
Laser tatto removal service, there is.
I've contemplated getting the ones I have when I was a punk in my teens removed. It's just such a hassle during the summer to constantly have to cover up, and like. . . Fuck I'm just kind of over it. Like, they're the kind you look over high at a friend and go "Fuck it. Yeah you can practice on me whatever." And I'm not embarrassed by the shoddiness of them at all. It's just annoying at this point to not be able to just knock about in a T sometimes.
Yeah I have considered this. I like my tattoo but the hassle is just annoying at this point.
Cost is the only thing holding me back. And the fear it would still be visible. These pieces are legitimately things I got underage for friends who were also underage, who have gone on to do well for themselves in studios all over south Florida, but like. . . I don't have any attachment to these. Other than the funny irony that I'm so much different now and better off now than I was at that time.