Government Workers in Osaka Forced to Admit If They Have Tattoos

Government Workers in Osaka Forced to Admit If They Have Tattoos
Article by: SlingerVille Staff
September 05, 2012

Tattoos have become so mainstream over the years that you don’t even think twice when you see someone with a full sleeve walking down the road. Most people don’t have a problem with their waitress that has a tattoo of a flower on her ankle, or the valet boy that has a dragon on his forearm. This isn’t the case in Osaka, Japan’s third largest city; tattoos are not welcomed in the workplace, especially if you are a city worker.

Recently, Mayor Toru Hashimoto commanded that all city employees answer a mandatory survey, disclosing any tattoos on their body. Akiko Fujita reported from ABC News that they were also obliged to detail how long they had had them.

A welfare officer "inspired" the mayor's crackdown earlier this year after he repeatedly showed up to work in a T-shirt, baring a large tattoo on his shoulder, Eiji Miki of Osaka's personnel department said.

"It made a lot of his co-workers uncomfortable, especially because he worked closely with young children," Miki said.

And:

Ten of 17,000 teachers confessed, according to results released today. The city was quick to point out that one of the tattoos belonged to an elementary school teacher.

If a schoolteacher has a tree tattoo on her side, how would anyone ever find out? If she didn’t have to disclose it, chances are that it would never affect the students.

This is absolutely crazy; can you imagine being forced to tell the mayor about your tattoos? Especially tattoos that you have hidden under your work clothes?

Source: http://jezebel.com/5921405/government-workers-in-osaka-forced-to-admit-if-they-have-tattoos

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