The Supreme Court has ruled for the first time that tattooing people without a medical license does not constitute a violation of the medical practitioners law.
The decision was made on Wednesday, September 16, 2020, in part because the Court has rejected an appeal by Prosecutors about a lawsuit against Taiki Masuda, a 32-year-old man who tattooed three people. Which ends with a higher court ruling that overturned the court's verdict fining the man 150,000 yen (€ 1,213 approx.)
The court defined medical acts as "actions considered medical treatment or for the health of people, and that can cause health problems to people if they are not performed by a doctor." Then they said "tattoos require artistic skills that are different from those of medicine, and cannot be assumed as an exclusive medical act", concluding that the tattoo is not a medical act.
For tomorrow, September 17, there will be a meeting that will decide the future of tattooing in Japan.