Tattooed stars like Johnny Depp and Lady Gaga would be unemployable in Osaka, mayor of Japanese city warns

PUBLISHED: 14:17 EST, 19 May 2012 | UPDATED: 14:25 EST, 19 May 2012

If some of the world's biggest names in show business ever consider a career change they have been told not to do it in Osaka.

Movie stars such as Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie, pop sensation Lady Gaga and our very own footballer David Beckham have been warned they would not be employed in the Japanese city.

Why? Because mayor Toru Hashimoto has said that he would not employee people with tattoos in the public sector.

Tattoos: Johnny Depp is renowned for his tattoos and there is an even a website dedicated to his body art

Body art: Lady Gaga has a number of tattoos including these two on her wrist and arm

Body art: Johnny Depp and Lady Gaga are both famed for having a number of tattoos, but the mayor of Osaka says their ink would make them unemployable

According to NBC News Mr Hashimoto this week said that public employees 'should go to the private sector' if they want to keep their tattoos.

Asked by a reporter about Hollywood stars with tattoos, the mayor responded, 'If Johnny Depp or Lady Gaga asked to become Osaka city employees, I would just say "no"'.

His apparent dislike of body art, came amidst a survey carried out by city authorities which found out that more than 100 sanitation, public transport and other workers admitted to having tattoos.

However, Sayuri Ohashi, a lawyer who represents Osaka workers, defended the right of people to decorate their bodies.

Inscription: Movie star Angelina Jolie has a number of tattoos, a lot of which are written in Khmer script

Sleeves: Footballer David Beckham has a whole host of tattoos across his body including the names of his children and famously of Jesus on the cross

Unemployable: Angelina Jolie and David Beckham would struggle to get a job in Osaka because of their tattoos

She told the website: 'Whether one has a tattoo or not has nothing to do with their competence or skills.

Osaka: The tattoo debate has sparked anger in some corners, who say the artwork has no effect on their working credentials

'There are different types of tattoos, there are those that are indeed linked to organized crime and others who have etchings on their bodies as mementos, such as for their lost child

'If they try to pressure them into quitting by transferring them to another work, that's a breach of the labor law.

The debate about tattoos started earlier this year when a city employee employeed in childcare was accused of intimidating a youngster by revealing his own body art.

Tattoos still carry a strong cultural association with the Japanese underworld and the yakuza crime gangs and the country's aversion to tattoos can already be found at swimming pools and public bath houses where there are often signs banning those with them.

It is believed that the city is not looking to fi! re worke rs with tattoos but all are likely to be told to cover it up or risk being transferred to jobs with no contact with the public.