Tattooed Samoans don skin suits to avoid offending Japanese hosts
Skin drawings are associated with members of crime syndicates, and inked tourists may encounter disapproval and be banned from gyms and bathhouses
17 September 2019 - 16:08
Tokyo — Samoan players will wear their hearts on their sleeves — but keep traditional Pacific islander tattoos under wraps with skin suits during the World Cup in Japan to avoid offending their hosts.
The Japanese have long associated tattoos with members of “yakuza” crime syndicates, and inked tourists may encounter disapproval and sometimes be banned from gyms, bathhouses or traditional hot-spring resorts...
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