Tattoo artists in Japan say their art is often misunderstood and associated with the "yakuza" organized crime gangs. People with tattoos are often banned from public ...

Public pools. Gyms. Resorts. It’s common to see “no tattoos allowed” signs at establishments like this. In Japan, there is certainly a stigma towards tattoos. But why? The easiest explanation, of ...

For Horimitsu, the sound of needles painting skin is a soft, rhythmic scratching, like a solitary cricket - "sha, sha, sha". For 30 years he has tattooed by hand in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, needing nothing ...

On Tuesday, a meeting was held by Japan’s House of Councilors Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense. Among the topics discussed: tattoos. Japanese society has traditionally taken a dim view of ...

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Whether you love tattoos or hate them, the British clearly have something of a penchant for engraving their bodies ...