Tattoos and Shinto

Hello,

I've been looking for all over the internet, but I couldn't find anything useful on this issue I'm having.

I've been studying a lot about Shinto recently, and I really like the concepts, the rituals, etc. However, I'm curious about what Shinto thinks about tattoos and tattooing. I found one article saying the body is holy and tattooing it is a sin, but I just can't believe it. Then again, I know very little at this point, so if someone could help me out with this, I'd really appreciate it.

(Yes, I have tattoos, both my arms are fully tattooed, and I believe in having a concept, a very personal meaning behind the images. And I think it's not opposing Shinto beliefs in any way -- but I could be wrong.)

Why can't you believe it? I see nothing unnatural about that sort of belief.

But my understanding is that the Japanese in general consider our bodies as a gift from our parents, ancesters and gods. So although it's definitely a belief within the custom, I'm not sure if it is really part of the religion or not. But then again, religion, shinto in particular, is a reflection of everyday life.

It's not a problem. Yakuza are Shinto.

I can't be sure, but I did hear that having a tattoo is against Shinto. True, "yakuza" have tattoos. But isn't it "uyoku" (extreme right wingers) that are Shitoists?

Yes, and there is often a strong connection between the uyoku and the yakuza- how do you think they get away with making so much noise, blocking streets, ignoring traffic lights etc?

While it is true uyoku and yakuza have strong connection and that uyoku are Shintoist, it is wrong to say that Shinto allows tattoo - it is a bit like most Mafia are Catholic, it does not mean the religion encourage what Mafir is doing.

Sira,

They get away from making distactions because technically they are not "yakuza", but you are right, they are more or less the same.

Whoah, let's get it straight here. Every person is free to believe whatever religion they want.

A lot of yakuza (criminals) and uyoku (right-wingers) may be Shinto, and a lot of mafia may be Catholic.

But the Shinto and Catholic gods do not allow fraud or murder that a lot of yakuza or mafia are engaged in. Similarly, I wouldn't be surprised if Shinto does not allow tattoos.

Btw, some yakuza are Christians and belivers of various other religions.

There is long-standing distrust for tattoos in Shinto, because many of the core texts--the Kojiki, for example--relate how the Gods used tattooing/marking as a way of punishing crime, disobedience, and so forth. As a Westerner dabbling in the religion, you might want to take this into account.

Just google the forum title & you will find many. One of them is
http://www.horimonoya.com/2009/05/shinto-and-tattoos.html