I would guess it is because to East asian authorities, you would only be getting...

		forkLding on April 16, 2019 \| parent \| context \| favorite \| on: In China, tattoos border on illegal – and they're ... I would guess it is because to East asian authorities, you would only be getting a tattoo if you were being initiated in a gang or wanted to engage in outlaw activities, so stopping tattoos is indirectly stopping "outlawry" and thus preserving "morality" in society.

Probably similar to how schools in certain states ban red/blue bandannas or other gang-related artifacts