You’ve probably heard about Ariana Grande’s humorous tattoo mistake by now.

The chart-topping singer has shown interest before in Japanese culture, even going as far as having anime characters tattooed on her body. Her latest tattoo was intended to be a nod to her latest single. She wanted ‘seven rings’ inked in Japanese, but missing out some of the characters, she actually ended up with the word ‘shichirin’, meaning BBQ grill.

In a widely derided attempt to fix it, she added in one of the missed out kanji, ‘yubi’ (finger). But the unfortunate placing means the actual meaning still remains ambiguous.

Even though Japanese people look at the tattoo and their first thought is ‘BBQ grill’, I wondered if Ariana’s intended meaning of 'seven rings' came across at all. Western people were very ready to laugh at her mistake, and even accuse her of using another culture as an aesthetic, but what do Japanese people think?

So, I investigated. By harassing my Japanese co-workers with questions about a pop star’s tattoo, despite the fact they all have work to do. What is the Japanese public opinion? Sorry grape staff, the people need to know!

What (Some!) Japanese People Think About Ariana Grande's Kanji Tattoo

Interviewee 1: Female, 30

What do you think about tattoos in general?

They’re cute, I like them. I like flower tattoos.

This is Ariana’s initial tattoo. What does this mean?

BBQ grill

This is how she tried to fix it. Now what do you think it means?

I really don’t know.

The intended meaning is ‘seven rings’. Do you think any Japanese people would get that just by looking?

Maybe it would get across.

Was the tattoo better before or after?

If you can’t read Japanese the first one is better, just looks-wise. I think it’s cool. If Ariana-chan does it, it’s cool!

What do you think about non-Japanese people getting kanji tattoos?

I think it’s great. I feel thankful that they like Japanese culture.

Interviewee 2: Male, 37

What do you think about tattoos in general?

They're fine, if you like them you should get one. But when I see someone covered in tattoos I think, wow, that person has no sense!

This is Ariana’s initial tattoo. What does this mean?

BBQ grill.

This is how she tried to fix it. Now what do you think it means?

BBQ grill finger? I don’t know.

The intended meaning is ‘seven rings’. Do you think any Japanese people would get that just by looking?

Probably not.

Was the tattoo better before or after?

The first one looks best. The second one just looks jumbled together, you can tell she made a mistake and tried to fix it.

What do you think about non-Japanese people getting kanji tattoos?

There are some cool ones. I don’t care because Japanese people do the same with English words as tattoos. I’m just happy that people have an interest in Japanese culture.

Interviewee 3: Female, 22

What do you think about tattoos in general?

If a foreigner has one it’s not strange. But if I see a Japanese person with a tattoo I wonder if they are a scary person, or someone you should be wary of.

This is Ariana’s initial tattoo. What does this mean?

The grill you use when you go to a barbecue restaurant.

This is how she tried to fix it. Now what do you think it means?

BBQ grill finger? I guess there’s no meaning really, she probably just liked the shape of these characters.

The intended meaning is ‘seven rings’. Do you think any Japanese people would get that just by looking?

What? No chance!

Was the tattoo better before or after?

The first one looks best, if you can’t read Japanese. But either way she just made a mistake, it’s understandable.

What do you think about non-Japanese people getting kanji tattoos?

I would just think ‘oh maybe they like Japan’. I don’t really have a strong opinion.

So there you have it, mild opinions all round. Admittedly, three people is not a representative sample size, but I think the interviews still held some interesting insights. The tattoo double standard that Japanese people are held to compared to foreigners came up, and I really didn't expect to hear a statement so full of endearment as 'if Ariana-chan does it, it's cool!'

Our Japanese page also wrote about the tattoo mistake, and the comments from readers were similarly kind, reaffirming that you would be hard-pressed to find a particularly charged opinion on the subject in Japan. Many called the mistake funny and cute, while others reiterated the wise words that you should probably be sure what something means before you get it inked onto your body forever. At least this important advice transcends culture and language.