FEATURE: Despite legal victory, Japan's tattoo artists still face stigma

OSAKA - Walk into any public bath in Japan and you're liable to see a sign banning any visible tattoos. Even as Japan opens up to more international tourists and residents, body art remains taboo, not only at baths but gyms, swimming pools and other businesses.

The strong stigma, which also extends to tattoo artists and can result in difficulties finding jobs, comes from its historical link with the yakuza and other criminal elements of Japanese society dating back to the Edo period (1603-1868).