Tattoos on Japanese girls

[soldave]

Here’s an observation I’ve had over the past 3 years of living in Okinawa, and I wonder what your opinions of it.


You quite frequently see Western girls with tattoos of some descript on them; whether they be something on the shoulder blade, upper arm or the delightfully named “tramp stamp” above the butt. However, on Japanese girls they are much rarer. In Okinawa, when I see a Japanese girl with a tattoo, I will immediately think one of 3 things:


1) She’s a hardcore diver/surfer, who probably got it when she was travelling somewhere in Asia
2) She’s connected to the yakuza (usually applicable if it’s the full-back tattoo)
3) She’s got a military boyfriend/husband


The latter is the one I’d like to focus on. Firstly, the chronology of said tattoo - did she get it before the military partner (and was it done as she thought it would get her a partner?), or did the boyfriend come first. And then what caused her to get the tattoo if she started seeing the guy first - was it that she saw more western women around bases with tattoos and it became more appealing to her; was she attracted to them by her new boyfriend’s tattoos, or did she think it would make her look more westernized?


I apologise if I somehow offend anyone in this post by generalising or stereotyping. This definitely is not the case but it’s a thought that often goes through my head when I see ink on a Japanese girl. Does anyone have any thoughts on this one?

[socalheart]

I'm curious about this also. I usually frequent places that Americans and other foreigners do, so tend to think reason #3 more often than not. I also tack on: if she doesn't have a military s.o., then she wants one. Of my full Japanese girlfriends, I don't recall seeing a tattoo on any of them.

[P_chan]

My wife is okinawan and she has a tattoo on her lower right side of her back. Just a small little thing, nothing major. She also got it before me, and I don't have a tattoo.

I asked her this same question before. She said she just wanted to do something different. She also won a raffle at a bar and they gave her the tattoo for free at a local studio.

[Mad Hatter]

My wife said that the Okinawian's body is like a temple and shouldn't have graphittie (? spell check sucks... with it's big words) plastard all over it...


But I personally don't listen to crap that she says... I mean for the love of all that is holy, she likes to sacrifice goats!!! Go figure

[dk]

Oh wow hahahaha.

[Mad Hatter]

Now you know... see man... I told ya

It ain't my fault I's am the way I's am!!!

[soldave]

Found this short but interesting comment on the subject:

Tattoo legend tells that once a Japanese nobleman wished to carry off a Rukyuan [sic] princess. She secretly tattooed her hands and arms with purple dye so her suitor believed she had contracted a skin disease and gave up his plan. Tattooing then became fashionable among island women, and each family had its individual pattern. When the Japanese took over the Ryukyus in 1879, they made tattooing illegal

Source: http://www.tattooarchive.com/history/okinawa.htm

[kombu_kid]

Most of the tattooed japanese women I've seen seem to have that "yakuza" look, except for the younger ones who are probably trying to follow the western influence. God, I hope it doesn't escalate to the point that it is here in CA..... it seems like over half the women I see have some sort of "tat" on their body, sometimes up high on their neck like some sort of gangbanger, as if they're trying to look "hard". I'm definitely no fan of women's tattoos, even the nicest ones. It just doesn't seem feminine and has that "ridden hard, and put away wet" look.

[Oxmix]

When I was stationed on Okinawa in the 60's I saw quite a few girls with tattoo's. Some of the girls had the same tattoo. I wondered why you would find the same tattoo on different girls. One day I saw a lot of girls and guys with bandages on their arms and legs and asked a friend what was going on. she told me that there were gang wars going on and former gang members were covering their tattoo's to avoid trouble.

Regards

Ox

[kombu_kid]

Interesting! I remember going to Moon Beach and seeing some "yakuza" looking girls with bandages around their upper arms, obviously hiding their tattoos. I figured they just didn't want people to gawk and stare at their tattoos.

[Oxmix]

Quiz. Gang tattoo? YES/NO
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/Tattoo.jpg

Regards

Ox

[socalheart]

:D LMAO! that's so wrong that it's funny. maybe he's born year of the monkey? ;)

[missing_the_OKI]

I had one of my Okinawan co-workers tell me when he saw a tattoo on me that only "gang" girls get tatted up in Oki. He's an older gentleman so I figured he might know a bit of what he was talking about. LOL!!

[P_chan]

Well he's full of it because my wife has a tattoo and isn't in a gang. Obviously he's old so thats why he thought that.

[dk]

Well he's full of it because my wife has a tattoo and isn't in a gang.
She hasn't told you? Man, I'd watch my back if I were you! Do the dishes!

[P_chan]

She already doesn't do the dishes!

[DoctorP]

I think now that most of the women I see with them...seem to be surfers, or heavily into the ocean/beach scene.