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Jun 20 2014 6 Comments

Tattoos and a relaxing sake in a Tokyo bar

Tokyo can be a horribly frantic city. One that all too often barely gives its residents time to breathe. But amidst the crowds and seemingly incessant noise, there are pockets of calm to be found. Places where one can sit down. Have an afternoon sake. And let the hustle and bustle slowly fade away.

Tattooed Tokyo sake drinker

Categorized: Food and Drink, Photography

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. John says

    6/20/2014 at 1:02 pm

    Tough girl in a gritty place but perhaps playing Puzzle & Dragons on her phone… a nation of contrasts. Interesting tattoo. Perhaps she likes mayo.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      6/20/2014 at 3:30 pm

      Yes, the contrasts one can regularly find here are fantastic.

      As for the tattoo, I really do hope it’s a skull and not Kewpie!

      Reply
  2. Hans ter Horst says

    6/20/2014 at 2:44 pm

    Another great shot of these tiny restaurants! I use to wonder how they could survive among the many restaurant chains, now I know better and seek them out myself

    Reply
    • Lee says

      6/20/2014 at 3:32 pm

      Cheers! They are wonderfully photogenic aren’t they?

      Likewise. Going somewhere now that even resembles a chain place is disappointing.

      Reply
  3. Fred says

    6/20/2014 at 7:08 pm

    Is it implied that this woman is working a red-light job? I know some Japanese people over here and they constantly discuss their disliking for the Western fashion of tattoos. I asked them why it is such a big issue for them, and they said that in Japan, a tattoo means someone is either a criminal or working in the red-light business, a 100% of the time.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      6/20/2014 at 7:25 pm

      No, definitely not implied by me. But yeah, that’s sadly a mindset that still persists, even though tattoos are becoming increasingly popular.

      Hopefully it will change, but it certainly won’t happen overnight. Spas, sports clubs, pools and the like still have a blanket ban on any kind of tattoos. And the attitude of the people you have spoken to is pretty widespread. For all its borrowing of different cultures and practices, Japan is still a very conservative country in many ways…

      Reply

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