I adore Japan.
I hope that’s obvious by now.
That being said, that Japan exists with one foot in the future,
The other in the past,
Is a fact—a very real one.
The Taiji Dolphin slaughter is still going strong.
There are arguments that only the physical borders opened back up in 1868, the mentality still the same.
Fukushima dumping radioactive water back into the ocean soon.
The insane amounts of plastic used under the guise of tradition.
Light years behind in both gender equality, and same-sex unions.
And more.
But the one I came into frustrating—even maddening—contact was, was their (still) view of tattoos.
Those that try to ameliorate the fuming gaijin’s standing outside the onsen that won’t allow them in will tell you that even before the Yakuza, prisoners were given tattoos, and thus, the reason for the majority (in my experience; which was quite a bit) of local hot springs not allowing those with tattoos in.
But it reached a near-violent climax one morning in Osaka, as I walked down to the communal showers.
“You aren’t allowed in” said the fella.
“I know” I said, dramatically rolling my eyes and tenor for all to see/hear, “I’m not going to the onsen, just the shower.”
“You can’t go in there either.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
I’ll let you fill in the blanks of what went on after.
Me, trying to maintain some of the composure that Japan had taught me.
While as the same time, in disbelief that I—having booked four nights here—was just told I’d have to find another building to shower in.
Even as I write this, I feel my blood getting up.
It’s all here, in the Google review.
But it’s a huge, huge issue in Japan,
And it gives you insight into that frustrating dichotomy that exists.
Plenty has been written about it.
Plenty has been tried to been done about it.
Many of the bigger onsens acquiesced.
It’s still a huge issue.
The actual act itself, sure,
But mostly, the stubborn mindset behind it... and the aforementioned.
