00:02It's one of Japan's great Shinto festivals, and a familiar signal to the people of Tokyo that summer's about to
00:08start.
00:09This is the Sanjia Matsuri, held this year from May 15th to 17th,
00:14a vibrant celebration marking the founding of a Buddhist temple with over 700 years of history.
00:20And for Japan, it's a bit of an unusual event, because of this, and this, and this.
00:29Japan is a country with a fairly strong aversion to tattoos, going back centuries, as one festival-goer explains.
00:38A long time ago, as far back as the Edo period, criminals were associated with tattoos in Japan.
00:46Yet Japan also has a rich artistic history of irezumi, as traditional tattoos are known.
00:52And while ink isn't the point of this festival, here they are tolerated.
00:57People proudly show off intricate designs all over their bodies, a rare opportunity.
01:04I try not to show them while I'm at work to avoid any trouble for my company, so I make
01:09sure they don't show.
01:10Even on my days off, I wear long sleeves.
01:13It's not like I'm consciously trying to hide anything in particular, but I've been doing it for so long.
01:18That's just how it is.
01:21Police look on, but nobody says anything, as for three days, the festival goes on just like any of the
01:27others that fill Japan's calendar.
01:29And despite the bad rap tattoos have, some people here think they're just fine.
01:36Tattoos are a way for me to express myself.
01:40And as tatted Tokyoites let loose, it's also a chance for visitors to Japan to see another side of local
01:46culture,
01:47something that can be both stigmatized and celebrated.
01:50John Tsu and John Van Trieste for Taiwan Plus.
Comments