The Diversifying Views on Japanese Tattoos – Understanding the History & Culture (Yoshimi Yamamoto)

What image comes to mind when you hear the word 'tattoo'? Recently, the issue of ‘No Tattoo’ policy at hot springs and public baths, emerged due to the demand from the Olympics and inbound tourism, is still fresh in our memory.Currently, it’s easy to imagine that many Japanese people have a negative impression of tattoos. Meanwhile, a trend of getting tattoos as a fashion statement is becoming popular, mainly among young people.No other culture has such diverse opinions. How were our perceptions of tattoos formed, and why have they been accepted as differing values to this extent? This time, we interviewed Professor Yoshimi Yamamoto of Tsuru University, who specializes in tattoo research, about the historical background and the way tattoos have been accepted.

Please tell us an overview of your research so far, Professor Yamamoto.

Since I was a university student, I have been interested in 'body modification', which culturally changes our bodies. I have been researching the history of tattoos from my graduation thesis to my doctoral thesis, but fundamentally, I consider it as historical anthropological research from the perspective of colonial rule and immigration research.