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Lesson Overview
Featured Article: “Shifting Norms on Tattoos in Japan” by Hikari Hida
In recent years, beliefs about tattoos have been changing in Japan, especially among young people who spend time on social media.
In this lesson, you will learn about these changing attitudes. Then, you will design an art exhibit using photographs and quotes from the article.
Warm-Up
In your journal, respond to the questions below:
Do you like tattoos? Would you like to get one someday? What design would you get?
How do the people in your life, like your parents and friends, feel about tattoos? Do they mostly have positive feelings? Why or why not?
These prompts were taken from a 2021 Student Opinion question: How do you feel about tattoos? If you want, you can read what other students had to say.
Vocabulary
The article you are about to read includes eight key vocabulary words. Check out the list below and see how many words you recognize and can define.
1. norm
2. taboo
3. prohibit
4. expose
5. hurdle
6. barista
7. impact
8. prospect
To learn all of the words, check out this list on Vocabulary.com.
Here are two expressions that also appear in the article: “go for it” and “slowly but steadily.” Do you know what either of these mean? Can you use them in a sentence?
Questions for Writing and Discussion
Read the article below, or as a PDF, and then answer the following questions:
1. What negative associations do people have about tattoos in Japan? How do these affect people who have tattoos?
2. How are some of the negative associations changing?
3. What role has social media played in these changing norms?
4. What is your reaction to the perspective on tattoos by Rion Sanada, the high schooler quoted at the end of the article?
Going Further
What is your reaction to the article? Did it change any of your beliefs about tattoos? What was surprising or interesting about it?
Now check out a fuller version of this article, titled “Discreetly, the Young in Japan Chip Away at a Taboo on Tattoos.” What story do the photographs in it tell? Based on what you just read, what three photographs do you believe are the most essential to telling this story? Why?
Finally, tell a story of your own through images. First, find three photos on your camera roll that are related in some way. Maybe they all feature your dog, a sport you play, a place you like to hang out, or a friend or family member. Put them in an order that, like the photos in the interactive you clicked through, explain something or tell a little story. Finally, write short captions for each that tell that story. Don’t forget to share your creation with others to see what they think!
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