Tattooed Maori woman barred from Japanese public bath

Posted September 13, 2013 18:53:42

A Maori woman has been barred from a public bath in Japan because her traditional face tattoos fell foul of rules intended to keep mobsters away, she says.

New Zealander Erana Te Haeata Brewerton, who was attending an academic meeting on indigenous languages, said she was refused entry to the bath in Eniwa, northern Hokkaido because of the spa's ban on people with body art.

"I'm not used to being treated like that," she said.

Ms Brewerton said Maori people have facial "ta moko" tattoos because they "tell people who the person is and where they are from. My moko tells other Maori people which tribe I am from," she said.

In Japan, tattoos are associated with yakuza organised crime syndicates, and many public institutions bar people who have them as a way to keep gangsters out.


"We protested, saying the tattoo was not anything anti-social and that only respected people are allowed to wear them in her culture," said Kenji Sekine, an Ainu language lecturer.

An official from the public bath told Kyodo news agency the decision had been made to avoid making other guests uncomfortable.

"Even if it is traditional culture, a typical person cannot judge the context behind the tattoos," the official said, according to Kyodo.




Topics: human-interest, japan, new-zealand