Freelance editor Lauren Hardie applied to join a fitness center when visiting Tokyo last summer but, before her membership was accepted, she was asked to sign a special contract that began with the following condition: "I am not a gangster."
Hardie is no gangster, but she does have a small tattoo the size of a butterfly on her wrist. In order to use the facilities, Hardie was asked to sign a contract in which she agreed to cover up the tattoo while on the premises and stop coming to the gym if anyone noticed it.
It's a good example of the country's stigma against tattoos. Foreign residents and tourists with tattoos can come across widespread prohibitions posted at public baths, hot springs and even swimming pools. Such rigid rules also apply to Japanese folk as well.