Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Tattoos In East Asia: Conforming To Individualism, Morgan Macfarlane

Outstanding Student Work in Asian Studies

Although Japan, South Korea, and China share a similar history of tattoo criminality, in modern times they all hold different legal policies concerning the practice. South Korea has the strictest laws, requiring a medical doctorate to legally tattoo, while China has few restrictions on body art. This paper explores this interesting difference via observational fieldwork in Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai and Beijing as well as interviews with local people. This paper hopes to explain the connection between a new tattoo culture supported by younger generations and the level of democracy and development of each country. Although a strong social stigma towards …