Tattoos in Japan have remained a taboo point of art culture for being
associated with members of Yakuza crime syndicates. Even today, many public
facilities in Japan like bathhouses or swimming pools will not allow
individuals with tattoos to enter.
The Supreme Court ruling comes after a debate over the case of 32-year-old
tattoo artist Taika Masuda who was arrested and fined ¥150,000 ($1,430) for
tattooing three female customers without a medical license in Suita, Japan
between 2014 and 2015.
In Japan, a law known as the Medical Practitioners’ Act considers the process
of getting a tattoo a medical procedure in regards to maintaining hygienic
standards and preventing skin disorders, thereby requiring a medical
license.
Masuda was found guilty in 2017 by an Osaka District Court. In 2018, the Osaka
High Court overturned the ruling after deciding tattoos are for decorative and
artistic purposes and not medical.
Prosecutors then appealed the Osaka High Court’s decision, moving the case to
Japan’s Supreme Court which ruled in favor of Masuda this week, cementing the
High Court’s initial decision.
“Tattooing is not considered medical treatment nor an act linked to health
care,” the Supreme Court ruled, upholding that tattooing is “a practice seen
since ancient times as part of regional customs,” according to RFI.
Presiding Justice Koichi Kusano further elaborated that a new law should be
made to establish safety measures to prevent risks from tattoo procedures
performed by non-medical licensed tattoo artists in the future.
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This article first appeared on NextShark. Feature Image via elmimmo (CC BY 2.0)
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