Never thought that delicate butterfly tattoo on your back could get you into trouble? Think again. In Japan, tattoos can get you banned from certain places, including the hugely popular onsens — the ...

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 ...

(Part two of a two-part story. Part one can be found here.) At TAV Gallery in the western Tokyo suburb of Asagaya, Charles “Didjelirium” Perez, a well-built Tahitian with tribal tattoos showing on his ...

While body art is widely accepted in many countries, tattoos are considered taboo in Japan, especially in public places like bathhouses, gyms and even workplaces. Because of this stigma, tattoo ...

It’s a question that’s crossed the mind of every inked-up person wanting to travel to one of the famous hot spring facilities in Japan. To help travelers navigate the country’s tricky policies on skin ...

At a small, clinically-lit studio in Tokyo’s Roppongi district, fearsome warriors and mythical creatures glare out from paper drawings lining the perimeter of the space. The tattooist here, who asked ...

This is Horiyoshi III, one of the world's most legendary full-body-tattoo artists. His given name is Yoshihito Nakano, but he inherited the title Horiyoshi, which is derived from the word hori, ...

TOKYO — Ayaka Kizu, a web designer in Tokyo, stood by her office desk one recent day, peeling Band-Aids off an apple-size portion of her right arm. A meeting with clients had ended, so she was now ...

If you only take a look at Horichuy’s work, you’d think the South Bay tattoo artist was born, raised, and classically trained in Japan. And that’s exactly how the American-born and Mexican-raised ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Jonathon Keats is a writer and artist who critiques museum exhibits. According to legend, the tattoo was elevated to an art form ...