[Elaltergephah]

I think it kinda depends what your goals are with kendo.

If you are ever planning to come to Japan and do kendo then I wouldn't recommend it. And if you are wanting to practice at fairly exclusive places for some reason, it might get you excluded.

Japanese opinions of tattoos are slowly changing as a whole. Foreigners with tattoos get away with it easier because we are gaijin and we are looked at a bit differently. I have seen Japanese people with tattoos, but they are younger and are in a certain circle usually where its accepted and even encouraged at times. I've never seen a person doing kendo here with tattoos. I don't think the stigma towards them with regards to kendo is going to go away any time soon.

Also, Japanese people can't say anything about someone with tattoos when they visit foreign countries. Its not their country or culture.

I wouldn't mind some myself, but the idea of informing my sensei that I have them scares me to death. Also, I want the doors that I have in this country to stay open. Having them closed over a tattoo is just a dumb reason to me; regardless of my feelings of pro/con towards them.

Also, no one will ever think your Yakuza. Not sure why people talk about Yakuza so much anyways...