Yakuza public baths, Japan 1947. Work by Horace Bristol.
Bristol was in Japan after World War II. One of his projects was documenting Japanese tattoo art, which led him to capture some amazing scenes like the one in this image. The first thing that catches your attention is seeing men and women sharing public bathrooms.
It is a Japanese tradition. It would not be until the intrusion of Western culture and values that separate bathrooms began to be seen.
Tattoos are linked to Japanese culture. However, its prohibition by the authorities several centuries ago meant that its use was limited to criminal environments such as the Yakuza or Japanese mafia. The members of the Yakuza had their bathrooms because their tattoos gave them away as members.
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