Advice about tattoo’s on feet in Japan

I have a (maybe unusual) question regards tattoo's, feet and Japan, I have checked many threads on this forum but have not found what I wanted to know yet, so I ask here.

I am fairly heavily tattooed , many of which are Japanese and Thai tattoos, and have never had a problem with them in Japan, at onsen , sentos or just anywhere so far, many of my tattoo's are Ghibli characters in a Japanese sleeve, so many people are interested in them, but that is not my question�c..

I am thinking about getting a tattoo on my foot, and it will be a Japanese design, but I am concerned that it will not be a good idea because of it being on my foot.

I know feet are not a good part of the body in Japan because they are low, but does this mean getting a tattoo on my foot is not a good idea especially as it is going to be a Japanese design�c.?

I was staying with a Japanese guy last time in Japan and he had two large tattoo's on the top of his feet and he said it was fine, but I am not yet sure if this is a good idea for me�c�c.Maybe he is right maybe I am wrong �c. ?

I could get the tattoo somewhere else�c. But I was planning to have it on the side of my foot�c�c?

I know this is a strange question, as I am already tattooed, but I do not want to have a Japanese tattoo on my foot if it is not good idea because of the foot and Japanese culture.

I have also traveled a lot in Thailand and feet there are thought of as low, never use feet to point to something, never pass something to someone with feet, do not point feet at people directly, point them away from people, do not step over people etc etc�c.

Any advice about tattoo's on feet in Japan...

Have a tatoo on the sole of one of your feet. Or both.
Or have a tattoo on the side of your feet but in your mother tongue.

OK no problem, thanks Monkey see, but my tattoo is not going to be words, not Kanji , Hiragana or Katakana, it will be a character from a Ghibli anime movie.......

A fun kawaii character......

So I guess this will be OK ?

What do you think ?

This be OK...?

kodamadesune,

I don't see any problem about getting tattoos on your feet if you already are doing fine with tattoos all over your body.

Pointing with your feet and decorating your feet are two different things. If tattoos on feet are a problem because of the reasons you ask about, there won't be shoe industries or sock industrries or toe polish industries in Japan.

Thanks Uco,

Yeah I agree decorating feet and pointing feet are very different things so I think it should be OK to have the tattoo on my foot, but I will always be care about pointing feet or using feet in a disrespectful way....

Thanks for your advice and help I am confident now that it should be OK to have the tattoo.....

Thanks.

I just want to point out that it's illegal to have a tattoo made of a copyrighted without permission from the copyright holder.

@Marcus

It's a very grey area regarding tattoos and copyright. Whilst technically law states it's illegal to copy it in any form, usually it means for profit. No artist is going to sue anyone for having a tattoo of their artwork on them, it wouldn't be worth the hassle, and they can't exactly force them to remove it can they?

Also for the person further up who suggested having your soles tattooed, most tattoo artists won't do the soles of feet.

Copyright law is not clear, for example a father drawing a picture on ponyo for his daughter who loves ponyo may directly copy the picture i.e. draw the picture exactly as it is on a dvd cover or poster etc and let his daughter colour in the drawing....

He is a father having fun with his daughter and letting her have fun coloring in the image..... is he a criminal ....... No

is he profiting from the drawing..... No

Is he a good father...... Yes

Copywright law should only be when profit is made from the item that has been copied....

Thats my opinion anyway.....

I am already heavily tattooed, with Japanese tattoo's, Thai Tattoo's names of my favourite bands, my daughters own handwritten Kanji, favourite movies etc etc etc, and copyright has never entered my thoughts when getting at tattoo, every tattoo artist interprets what you want, they do not directly copy something because they are artists, well at least the ones I use are, so my tattoos are ispired by things, but not copying thhem , if you know what I mean.

I do not intend to get the soles of my feet tattooed, I intend to either have the tattoo on the top of my foot or along the side of my foot.

Tottoing on the sole of the foot is not a good idea, the skin there regenerates quite fast and the tattoo wont last so long. I had a tattoo on my toes before, the underside, the part you walk on and it has disapeared because the skin tere regenerates fast.....

I do not intend to have the tattoo on the sole of my foot...

Thanks for your reply....

Bye for now

I guess Monkee see's point is that it is illegal for the tatto artist to do it unless he/she does it for free, and you can be an accessory to it.

Thanks for all the comments...

I have decided now that I am happy to have a tattoo on my foot because it's no big deal to do it.... and it won't be seen as a bad thing, at least I think so.......

I'll get it done soon...

I have to finish my recent tattoo first and then I'll have it done....

Thanks for all the replies and comments.

you mention feet being low and that you shouldn't point with your feet in Thailand but I don't think that applies in Japan.

In Japan the foot is not really distinguished from the leg. As people (used to) sit on the floor to eat, it is not possible NOT TO point your feet at someone.

for me, feet are gross but my japanese wife is always sticking her horrible feet over me so we have talked about feet quite a bit.

So knock yourself out if that's your thang!

Thanks for the reply.....

I think yiu are probaby right about feet in Thailand and Japan been thought of in a different way.

I have already made the booking ti have the tattoo done, so I am happy now

Yeah I reliase lega and feet are really classed as the same thing in Japan...... so I guess its not such a bad thing ti have done, so I cant wait to have the tattoo now......

Well your wifes feet may be horrible but at least you have a wife, which is more than I do ha ha...

Thanks for the reply.