Tattoos on Beaches

Hello there,

So I've seen a lot of threads about tattoos and such, but most of them are about Onsens and the ones about beaches are usually focusing on the fact someone looks like a foreigner.

Now I have been to japan twice before in the winter and I've gotten the cold shoulder before about my tattoos (Though I've been lucky as well) but this is the first time I'm going in the summer. My friend and I wanna hit the beaches, and since those aren't enclosed environments, is it easier for me to cover them up?

I ask especially because of the nature of what I have. I used to do martial arts when I was a teenager and I have a very... aggressive word tattooed on my front in Kanji. I'm not ashamed of it, however I can accept that for Japanese people it may be more unnerving than just some design. Also, though I don't specifically think so, I've been told multiple times in Japan by Japanese people that I look Japanese (I'm Filipino). So I'm assuming I will definitely have to cover them up in a large public setting. Is that ok? Can I go with the tape option or do I have to stick to wearing a sports shirt (I'd rather not)?

Of course it's okay to wear a shirt at the beach. Beaches in Japan are just like beaches in, say, Cebu. You can even swim with your T-shirt on, and the surfers have wetsuits on. By the way, Isshiki Beach in Hayama, Kanagawa is cool about people with tattoos. The users of the beach are generally very well-mannered so they have gained the trust.

I will definitely check out Isshiki, thank you for telling me! Guess that underarmor seems the best thing to do now in terms of wearing something then. I'm from a beach town so I am just used to not wearing one on the beach. Still, thank you!

Of course, most people in Japanese beaches don't wear shirts when in water for leisure, but it's not like the bath facilities where it wouldn't be fair at all to wear something when everyone else is naked. At the beach, people might even think you're wearing the shirt to cover your transparent tattoos as a courtesy to others. Anyway, it's quite normal to be wearing a shirt when you're out of the water and on the sand, because it protects you from UV.

This is from a Google image search from swimming beaches in Japan.
https://www.google.co.jp/search?q=%E6%B5%B7%E6%B0%B4%E6%B5%B4%E5%A0%B4...

This is one of the most popular summer restaurants at Isshiki.
http://www.bluemoonhayama.net/#!concept/cus5

Does your tattoo qualify for this?
http://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/scary-tattoo-ban-passed-at-popular...