[Blitzwing85]

Well, despite having to filter though all the bitching it's at least shead some light on the original point.

I have 1 tattoo, on my back. It has no meaning, it's simply something i designed myself which looks good on me.
I don't see the problem with being not allowed in. In all honesty from the 2 reasons given (yakuza and tattoos being a sign of a weak person) i would have to say the latter is the one which is stupid.

If tattoos are associated with gang culture in Japan then i'm more than happy to keep mine covered at all times. Which only stops me going anywhere with my top off in public.
However, to associate them with weak people due to cultural history is naive. However i very much doubt that many in modern Japan think that at all. Maybe only the oldest and most traditional.
Because at the end of the day they would surely know that in other cultures tattoos have a different meaning, and have nothing to do with how strong a person someone is.

Other cultures in my experience are never as bad as what western media makes them out to be.
I've recently been to a Muslim country, and visited a Mosque.
From what i've heard in our media then i expected everyone to be religeous and to be very very strict.
How wrong that view is...most Muslims are VERY lax in their religion, probably almost as relaxed about it as Christians are in the UK.
They might loosly follow the religion, but they rank family above all else, they rank having fun and earning a good living above religion.
They also didn't mind foreigners being of another religion, or even not being religeous at all like myself.

Every country has it's traditions and i think you should respect them. But most countries also don't follow their traditions as much as people think, especially in the modern towns and cities.
At the end of the day not many people want to sacrifice having a good life just to follow age old traditions which prohibit from doing so many fun and interesting things.


However i also firmly believe that if you visit another country as a tourist, you should at least make an effort to understand their ways and to speak the basics of their language out of respect.




1 more point...you know that most of these policies talked about are present in western society too. Sometimes it's just more relaxed view on it.

Muslims countries do not allow drinking in public, on the streets etc. Er, neither does the UK.

Japan won't allow tattoos in certain areas...neither does the UK.
(most pubs/bars won't allow tattoos on show as they are still associated with violence)


These rules are not as 'extreme' as people make them out to be.

It's all about give and take!