Tattoos are stigmatized in Japan because they're associated with gangs. But a centuries-old tattoo art called "horimono" is seen by some as spiritual and fundamental to Japanese culture. Every summer, a group of Japanese people go on this pilgrimage in the mountains to celebrate these tattoos together.
David Connolly
Japan's Traditional Tattoos Are Celebrated at This Underground Pilgrimage
Updated: Nov 29, 2020