Sanja matsuri this weekend in Asakusa

This festival looks like heaven. Gorgeous yakuza tattoos. Who’s going this weekend? (Photo credit).

Watch out for sharks!

A deft hand-move opens up the view of the scary shark with mouth open wide. Viewed from chilly Tokyo, it’s an invitation to another reality.

This is ramen heaven

Favorite ramen maker at work in Nakano

There’s an amazing, always crowded ramen shop in Nakano that always features anime music and workers in tank tops, dark tans, and big tattoos. Blondie is my all-time favorite ramen maker.

Gangnam Style, by Korean rapper PSY

220 million views on Youtube. I particularly like the sauna scene with the tattoo guy. This PSY guy is styling!

Hottie with tattoo and beach umbrella

At the beach in Chiba.

Yet another back tattoo on the beach

Given how punitive most of Japan is about tattoos (out-lawed at most sports clubs, public gyms, sentos, and onsen), it’s great to see so many at the beach! Rock on!

Another full back tattoo makes me wonder what’s below those lotuses

This overexposed photograph makes the back tattoo the center of attention.

Who are you looking at?

These XXX large men with tattoos look dangerous. Maybe I shouldn’t have taken their photos? It was irresistible.

Tattoo tete a tete at the beach

The problem with all the deep tanning in Japan is that it’s hard to see the ample tattoos. I like this tete-a-tete.