No, tattoos are not illegal in Japan. There is no national law against having, showing, or getting a tattoo, and in September 2020 Japan’s Supreme Court confirmed that the act of tattooing itself is legal. The complication is social, not legal: many private businesses, particularly hot springs and gyms, refuse entry to visibly tattooed customers, and employers can factor tattoos into hiring decisions.
What Japanese Law Actually Says
You can walk through any Japanese city with visible ink and face no legal consequences, whether you are a citizen, a resident, or a tourist. Immigration and customs officials do not screen for tattoos or restrict entry based on them.
For years, the legal question was not about wearing tattoos but about giving them. Japanese authorities read Article 17 of the Medical Practitioners Act to mean that inserting ink under the skin was a “medical act” reserved for licensed physicians. Tattoo artists were arrested, fined, and prosecuted on that basis.
The 2020 Supreme Court Ruling
On September 16, 2020, Japan’s Supreme Court ruled that tattooing is not a medical practice. The case involved Taiki Masuda, a tattoo artist convicted under the Medical Practitioners Act for tattooing three customers in 2015 without a medical license. A lower court had fined him 150,000 yen.
The Supreme Court upheld the Osaka High Court’s reasoning that overturned the conviction. Medical practice, the court said, means acts of medical care or health guidance that could harm someone if done by a non-doctor. Tattooing is neither, so the statute does not apply. The ruling recognized tattooing as a distinct artistic and cultural practice and ended the legal basis for prosecuting artists.
One side effect: because tattooing was previously policed through medical law, no dedicated licensing or hygiene framework replaced it. Japan has not enacted legislation regulating tattoo parlors, setting sterilization standards, or certifying practitioners. Studios set their own practices, and quality varies. If you plan to get tattooed in Japan, vetting the studio yourself matters more than it might elsewhere.
Age Rules Vary by Prefecture
No national law sets a minimum age for getting a tattoo, but prefectural juvenile protection ordinances fill the gap. Most prefectures set the minimum at 18. Osaka Prefecture sets it at 20. These are enforceable local laws, and artists who tattoo someone underage can be penalized under the relevant ordinance.
Where You Will Actually Have Problems
The gap between what Japanese law permits and what Japanese businesses allow is wide. Onsen (hot springs), public baths, swimming pools, and gyms often refuse entry to anyone with visible tattoos. This is a business policy, not a legal requirement. Private operators set the rules on their own, usually to preserve their image and avoid making other patrons uncomfortable.
A 2015 Japan Tourism Agency survey found that more than half of onsen refused tattooed guests. A 2023 BIGLOBE Onsen survey found that 44 percent of respondents still believed tattoos should be strictly prohibited in public baths. Government pushes to relax these policies ahead of the 2019 Rugby World Cup and the Tokyo Olympics moved the needle less than officials had hoped.
Finding Tattoo-Friendly Onsen
Tattoo-friendly facilities exist, and their numbers are growing in tourist areas. Beppu, one of Japan’s best-known hot spring towns, compiled a list of 100 tattoo-friendly facilities for the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Kinosaki Onsen in Hyogo Prefecture has several welcoming baths. Tokyo and Osaka have options too, though you will want to research specific venues before you go. The Japan National Tourism Organization notes that policies vary case by case and that many onsen owners are personally indifferent to tattoos even when a formal ban is posted, particularly for smaller or less noticeable pieces.1Japan National Tourism Organization. Onsen Hot Springs – On Tattoos and Etiquette
Private onsen rooms, offered by many ryokan (traditional inns) and some bath facilities, sidestep the issue. You bathe alone or with your travel companions, so no policy applies. They cost more than public baths, but access is guaranteed.
Covering Up
Some facilities admit tattooed visitors if the ink is covered. Waterproof concealing products made for this purpose are widely available in Japan: ultra-thin adhesive films and skin-colored stickers that resist water and heat. Stores like Don Quijote carry them, and you can order online. Prices typically run from about 1,300 to 2,400 yen per package. A small forearm piece is easy to cover; a full sleeve or back piece is not. Confirm with the specific facility that covers are accepted before relying on this approach.
Tattoos and Employment
Japan has no anti-discrimination law protecting tattooed workers. Employers can refuse to hire candidates with visible tattoos, and many company dress codes require tattoos to stay concealed at work. The rule is strongest in customer-facing industries, government roles, and traditional sectors, but it reaches broadly into corporate work as well. If you are job hunting in Japan, visible ink is a real disadvantage in most fields.
Courts have drawn one line. In 2014, the Osaka District Court ruled that Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto’s mandatory survey of city employees’ tattoos was illegal. A bus driver, Tadasu Yasuda, had been moved to a desk job after refusing to answer questions about whether he had tattoos. The court found the survey invaded privacy and risked workplace discrimination. It ordered the city to reinstate Yasuda and pay him 1.1 million yen in damages.
The distinction the case draws: employers can set policies requiring tattoos to be covered and can factor appearance into hiring, but compelling existing employees to disclose tattoos and punishing them for refusing crosses into privacy violation. Statutory protection beyond that is thin.
Practical Tips for Visitors
- Check the tattoo policy of any ryokan, onsen, gym, or pool before you go. Many booking platforms now include tattoo-policy filters, and calling ahead is reliable.
- Pack waterproof concealing stickers or films if your tattoos are small enough to cover. You can buy them at Don Quijote on arrival or order online beforehand.
- Book private onsen rooms if your tattoos are large or numerous. It is the most consistent way to enjoy hot springs without friction.
- Cover up in conservative settings. Temples, shrines, formal restaurants, and rural areas tend to react less warmly to visible ink, and most Japanese people will not say anything but may keep a distance.
- Expect inconsistency. A gym in Shibuya might not care while a rural bathhouse enforces a strict ban. Individual businesses set the rules, and enforcement varies by staff and how busy the place is.
Nothing about having or getting a tattoo will put you on the wrong side of Japanese law. The practical experience of being visibly tattooed in Japan is a different question, and it still calls for some planning and flexibility.