When Hori Benny moved into his brand new business premises in 2014 near Nipponbashi in downtown Osaka, there was an unwelcoming committee waiting for him. A neighboring business owner had gathered over 1,000 signatories for a petition to get him to move back out. The message was clear: The tattoo artist was not welcome.
If there was a list of undesirable neighbors in Japan, tattoo artists would probably come close to the top; for many here the industry is inextricably linked to the yakuza. Many others see tattoos as unsavory — they mark you out for things you can't do, like visiting hot springs and swimming pools.
But Benny stood his ground; he also proffered his hand in friendship. Americans from the Midwest are like that. They're polite, proud and cordial. His neighbor didn't know that. All he knew — needed to know — was that he was in the company of a tattoo artist.
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