A hot spa resort area in Oita Prefecture, which is hosting next year's Rugby World Cup, has created an online map showing onsen spots open to visitors with tattoos, typically stigmatized in Japan due to their association with yakuza.

The Oita city of Beppu has prepared the online map on the website titled "100 Tattoo-allowed Hot Springs" based on the understanding that tattoos are part of traditional culture in such countries as New Zealand, whose national rugby team will play in Oita, near Beppu, during the Sept. 20-Nov. 2 tournament.

"We don't want to disappoint people who come all the way (to Japan)" from elsewhere given that operators of many public baths refuse guests with tattoos, a city official said, in explaining why the city created the map based on Google Maps.