Horimono: Japan's Tattoo Pilgrimage (2020)

Japan has an uneasy relationship with tattoos, which have come to be associated with organized crime. Living among heavy stereotypes, a group of tattooed individuals practice a centuries-old pilgrimage to a mountain shrine, now one of the few places where the traditional full-body tattoo ("horimono") can be shown and celebrated. Following the events of this never-before-filmed pilgrimage, this short documentary provides a fresh view on the cultural history of Japanese tattoos, and those who continue to choose to get them done.