Tripologist: Will my tattoos offend the locals in Japan?

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Tattooed bodies were traditionally banned from Japan’s onsens and bathhouses due to their negative associations with criminality and gang affiliations.

Japan is high on the travel list for my wife and myself and among the experiences to enjoy are onsens. However I have tattoos and while not head-to-toe, neither are they small. The last thing I want to do is offend. How are attitudes towards tattoos?Although tattooed bodies were traditionally banned from Japan’s onsens and bathhouses due to their negative associations with criminality and gang affiliations, the restriction appears to be relaxing, especially for foreigners.

There are worse things you can do in a Japanese onsen than displaying tatts, such as getting soap in the water. It’s my impression that the tattoo taboo might be overstated. I was once in a modest neighbourhood bathhouse in Tokyo when a yakuza walked in. He was impressively tattooed but it didn’t seem to be a big deal. No fuss, nobody said anything. But then they wouldn’t, would they?

We are planning to drive along the west coast of Turkey over six to seven days, stopping at Ephesus and Pamukkale. Any other suggestions and how many days should we stop at these two sites?A full day at Ephesus is usually enough, and you might base yourselves at nearby Sirince, originally a Greek village abandoned in the aftermath of the Greco-Turkish War of 1919-22 and repopulated by Turkish residents. Apart from a new mosque, it’s little changed.

Besides the wonderland of the White Terraces there’s plenty more to take in here including the ruins of Hierapolis, the Archaeology Museum, a dip in Cleopatra’s Pool, Karahayit Red Springs, Laodicea and Kaklik Cave. Three nights would be just enough, four is better.I plan to catch the catamaran or ferry from Dubrovnik to Split for a mini “cruise” of the islands. I am not a great sailor.

We will be in Bucharest and Budapest next year book-ending a river cruise. Can you suggest local guides or tour companies to organise a few days in each city?. Diana is an experienced and highly professional tour operator, well-equipped to organise whatever you have in mind and to make creative suggestions. In Budapest,gets excellent reviews for her Budapest Jewish Walk, and the story of the city’s Jews is a fascinating chapter in the city’s history.

 

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