Tattoo Regrets, Life in Japan and Growing Up a Delinquent

At 15, when I was 15—this is going to reveal my age, but...

When I was 15, the Great East Japan Earthquake struck, and even back then, I was volunteering in Tohoku the whole time.

So there was that too, and despite being a delinquent, I had this desire to help people.

That's just my personality, which led to this.

And also determination. Determination. Do you regret it? Getting them done?

I've never regretted it, not even once. Not even once, but still, when people without tattoos ask me if they should get one, I always tell them not to.

I tell them, "It's easier to live without them."

Because there are still so few places you can go in Japan.

You've started showing them recently, right?

I used to hide them. I lived my life hiding them too.

Lately, the media actually asks me to show them, but until then, I lived my life keeping them hidden.

Because if you show them, there are too many places you can't go.

It's still a difficult place to navigate, Japan is.

You've finally been able to show them, right?

Finally. Now, on the contrary, they ask me to show my back, telling me to wear clothes that expose my back.

So today, I made sure it's visible... ...so I can show it.

People often mistake it for a dragon, but... this is a phoenix.

A phoenix and what's the flower? It's a peony.

But it's a fact that there are really many places you can't go.

I've even been banned from restaurants because of this.

So much for the tattoos. You used to be a delinquent, right?

Is that what they call it? I wonder. Yes, a former delinquent.

We have a question: "What's your craziest story from your delinquent days?"

My own craziest story from my delinquent days, right?

Yes, exactly. Not about others, but about yourself.

I can't say it. Thank you very much. If it's the absolute craziest, I really can't say it.

What's the reason you didn't go to middle school?

This person knows that I only graduated from middle school.

Yes, I only graduated from middle school, but...

Elementary school graduate? Elementary school graduate.

Well, it's compulsory education, so you technically graduate from middle school anyway.

I say I only graduated elementary school because I didn't go to junior high.

I say this for entertainment purposes. Though in reality, I did graduate junior high.

Well, there's no clear reason why I didn't go to junior high, but...

I simply went off the rails.