Maori Tattoos are still bloody tattoos

This is a mug-shot of Erana Te Haeata Brewerton, a 60-year-old Maori who was up in Japan recently on some junket.   

Her facial tattoo saw her barred from a hot spring in Hokkaido and she went bleating to the media crying it was all too “culturally insensitive”.   

Bullshit.  

For starters the Japan Bathhouse has the right to ban who-ever it sees fit, serve the best interests of the business, particularly the ‘bread and butter’ locals.    

Secondly Ms Breweton this is Japan and not New Zealand. 

You were a visitor so why not be equally sensitive to their culture? 

The Japanese hate tattoos because of their criminal connotations.  

They lump all tattoos together, don’t have time to run it by the N.Z Embassy.  

Nor can the spas owner be expected to tell a so called ‘traditional’ tattoo from a similar one some chick got done one drunken night in Thailand. 

The hot spring made the right decision not allowing you entry. 

You need to wake up and accept that tattoos particularly facial ones are intimidating, globally associated with gangs.

Go to any maximum security prison and you’ll soon see the ‘customers’ are all tatted up.  

Many N.Z prisoners have tattoos not too similar to your own and are equally passionate about them.  

Maori criminal fraternity is all but 100% tatted-up. 

Here are some examples of modern-day ta mokos equally valid to a layman as Ms Brewerons.   

 

 

 

 

 

As a so called ‘leader’ and ‘ambassador’ for her culture the best thing Erana Te Haeata Brewerton could have done to disassociate herself from the underbelly of Maoridom was to not have got a tattoo in the first place.