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The story
Yusuke Toyoshima, a former professional snowboarder known for the 2016 “oden-poking incident” and now a YouTuber with 30,000 subscribers, posted on X on October 20 that he’d attended his daughter’s sports day without covering up his tattoos, asking, “Is it really that bad?” The post racked up over 2 million views and drew a sharply divided reaction. On 5ch, criticism of “cover it up” clashed with counterarguments that “being spooked by tattoos is the real cowardice,” turning the thread into a debate over Japan’s differing social attitudes toward tattoos.
On October 20, Yusuke Toyoshima, known as the “Oden-Poking Man” (30,000 subscribers), revealed on X that he had gone to his daughter’s sports day without hiding his tattoos, and asked whether it was really such a problem. The post went on to be viewed over 2 million times, drawing a wave of criticism.
Ten Years Since the Oden-Poking Incident
Back in 2016, Toyoshima sparked a huge backlash online after posting a video of himself poking at oden marked for disposal with his finger at a closed convenience store, leading to his arrest on suspicion of forcible obstruction of business (he was later not indicted). A former pro snowboarder, he now runs two skateboard shops and parks in Aichi Prefecture while giving talks nationwide. In 2022, he launched a YouTube channel where he’s spoken about the truth behind the “oden-poking incident.”
Source: yutura.net / original article here
What people said
This is the one place you really shouldn't do this.
Then why's he suddenly care what regular society thinks, lol
Deciding on your own what's "good" or "bad" for everyone else isn't really fair.
Guy clearly can't think about how it affects others, same vibe as the oden stunt. Consequences catch up eventually.
Makes you wonder what kind of parent that makes him.
sounds like the sports day itself went off without a hitch.
It's just cowards who get spooked by tattoos
screaming about it online even though it has nothing to do with them.
"Cowards who get spooked by tattoos"
Wait, are you one of those "tattoos are badass! Tattoos are pure justice!" types?
Wouldn't blame her if she went off the rails later.
"Grandpa and Grandma both have pictures covering their whole backs too — I want one too."
It's that they're ugly and unpleasant to look at, so cover them up.
You wouldn't want to see some old lady's saggy chest either, would you?
Must have a pretty gorgeous face yourself, then.
Do you shave your leg hair too?
Background and Points of Debate
Tattoos are widely shunned in Japan largely due to their historical association with organized crime, which led public baths and hot springs to broadly bar anyone with visible ink — though no actual law bans showing tattoos in public. Toyoshima was arrested in 2016 on suspicion of forcible obstruction of business over the “oden-poking incident” but was never indicted, and he now runs a skate shop in Aichi Prefecture while staying active on YouTube. In the thread, opinions split between those who viewed it as a matter of personal freedom (“being bothered by it is oversensitive”) and those who felt some consideration was warranted given that a children’s sports day is a public setting — no consensus was reached. It’s also worth noting that some posts dismissed supportive comments as “auto-posts from paid shills,” though none of these claims were backed by any evidence and remain pure speculation.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geisoku+) thread “‘Oden-Poking Man’ Yusuke Toyoshima Goes to Daughter’s Sports Day With Tattoos in Plain View, Asks ‘Is It Really That Bad?’, Sparks Wave of Criticism.”
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