Onsen Etiquette in Japan

An onsen is a hot spring bath. You will most often find one in resort towns, rural areas, and large hotels. A sent? is a public bathhouse in a city neighborhood, where bathers pay a small fee. Both follow the same basic rules: everyone washes thoroughly before entering the shared bath, the towel stays out of the water, and mixed-gender bathing ends at a young age under national guidance. Tattoo policy varies more from one facility to the next than any other rule.

Independent travelers need to know four things. The first is the order of the bathing steps. Next is what to do with the towels. They also need to know which facilities accept tattoos, and whether a private bath is a workable alternative. The sections below cover each one and note where the rules differ.

The Bathing Steps in Order

Most onsen and sent? follow the same sequence. Japan-Guide lays it out as undressing in the changing room, placing clothes in a basket with the large towel, carrying only the small towel into the bathing area, and rinsing the body before entering the bath. A first visit follows the same sequence at most facilities, and the steps below combine the common elements.

1. Pay at the front desk and collect a towel set. Some facilities supply towels, and others expect guests to bring their own.
2. Undress in the changing room and leave your clothes and the large towel in the basket or locker.
3. Enter the bathing area with only the small towel.
4. Sit at a washing station and wash with soap. Rinse thoroughly with water from the bowl, shower, or trough. Stand only if you must, because standing while washing can splash neighbors.
5. Tie up long hair before entering the water.
6. Enter the bath slowly, starting with the feet. Entering gradually is advised, because sudden full immersion can cause dizziness.
7. Soak for a short session. 15 to 20 minutes is usually enough for one soak, and staying longer than 20 minutes at a time is not advised. Start in a cooler pool if the bath offers several.
8. Get out, dry off, and return stools and basins to their places. Jumping, swimming, and washing inside the pool are not allowed, and the floors are slippery.
9. Dry off in the changing room, then dress.

Washing before entry carries the most weight of any rule. Bathers must wash at the washing area before entering the pool because the water is shared, and washing the body or hair inside the pool is prohibited. Stations usually have stools and supply soap and shampoo, although guests may bring their own. Rinse thoroughly so that soap does not reach the bath.

The rinse after soaking is a point where practice differs. Tap-water rinsing after soaking is discouraged so that the spring’s minerals can take full effect. Most Japanese bathers take a quick shower after soaking, and some facilities require a rinse before re-entering the bath. Follow the facility’s signs, and watch what the other bathers do.

Water temperature varies by bath. Typical temperatures run from 40 to 44°C (104 to 111°F), and some baths run from 40 to 43°C. If the water feels too hot, move to a cooler pool or leave early.

Towels and Where They Go

Most guides describe two towels. The large towel stays in the changing room with your clothes for drying. The small towel goes into the bathing area and serves for washing and covering the body while walking between areas. Carrying the small towel covers the body outside the water and supports privacy.

The rule about the small towel and the water is firm. The small towel must never be submerged in the pool. Guests may rest it on the edge of the bath or fold it on top of the head while soaking. Putting a towel in the water is impolite, and folding it on the head is a local custom rather than a written rule. The reason is practical. Towels can carry soap residue and fibers into the spring water. Wipe off excess water before walking back to the changing room, since wet floors cause slips.

Whether you need to bring towels depends on the place. Guests at local sent? and small onsen usually need to bring two towels, while resorts and larger facilities usually hand out a towel set, and guests may bring their own. A traveler should ask at the front desk before paying, or check the facility’s website. Sent? are the places most likely to expect you to carry your own towels.

Tattoo Rules at Onsen and Sent?

Tattoo access is a facility decision, and no national rule sets it for every bath in Japan. Operators write their own rules, and many do not publish them online. Ryokan baths and hotel baths can differ from public baths in the same town. Hotel policies vary by property, and a resort area such as Niseko does not follow one policy across the whole region.

Facilities fall into three general groups. Some welcome tattooed guests without conditions. Others allow tattoos only when fully covered, usually with an approved cover sticker. A third group bars tattooed guests, and some of these refuse entry even with a cover. Cover stickers are sold at the front desk at some baths and at drugstores and online. Sleeves and large back pieces generally cannot be covered. Small tattoos can be. Stickers may peel in hot water, so a traveler should bring spares.

Facility rules change often, so confirm each example below with the operator. D?go Onsen Honkan in Ehime, all seven public bathhouses in Kinosaki Onsen in Hy?go, and Kusatsu in Gunma are reported as tattoo-friendly. The Kinosaki ryokan baths may follow different rules from the public bathhouses. Solaniwa Onsen in Osaka is reported to require full coverage with the facility’s own stickers. The Hakone Yuryo day-use resort is reported to have lifted its tattoo restrictions effective 1 April 2025. Check the resort’s English website for the current rule before you go.

Sticker size and limits also vary. Many facilities allow up to two small stickers, and larger coverage requires a private bath. Three bathhouses cap coverage at two stickers totaling about 11 × 20 cm. A front-desk sticker at one facility is about 13 × 9 cm, and a large resort chain formerly allowed 8 × 10 cm. Ask the front desk for the exact rule before you pay. Expect a bath to turn down a cover it considers too large.

Private baths give the most certain route for travelers with tattoos. Tattoo rules generally do not apply in an empty private bath, though this follows from practice rather than a written rule. Confirm with the property that its private bath follows the same rule.

Mixed-Gender Baths and the Age Limit

National guidance sets the separation age for public baths at about 7. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s notice of 10 December 2020 lowered the earlier threshold of about 10 to roughly 7 years old for separating males and females in public bathing rooms. The notice also says people with transmissible infections, diarrhea, or severe intoxication should not be admitted.

The national figure is a guideline, and local governments write the binding rules in their own ordinances. Each city or prefecture adopts the change on its own schedule, so the rule at the bath you plan to visit depends on the local ordinance. Kagoshima City reportedly lowered its threshold to 7 effective 1 July 2022. Gunma Prefecture reportedly did the same effective 1 October 2023, and Osaka Prefecture revised its prefectural hygiene manual effective 31 March 2021. In Tokyo, the Minato Ward notice of 23 June 2023 says operators should apply the sex rule based on physical characteristics. Some Tokyo-area ordinances reportedly ban mixing of males and females aged 7 and over. Check the current text with the city or prefecture for any bath you plan to use, because the age threshold and any exemptions are set locally.

For a traveler, the practical result is simple. Children under about 7 can bathe with a parent of either sex in many places, and older children and adults should expect separate baths. Some facilities also run mixed-gender baths on set days or in family rooms, so the front desk or the facility’s website is the place to confirm.

Private Baths and How to Book Them

A private bath, called kashikiri (??, reserved for one group), lets one party use a bath alone for a set time. Most bookings run 40 to 60 minutes, and each property sets its own length. Typical slots run 45 to 60 minutes. Leave on time, because the next group often waits. Start getting out about 10 minutes before the slot ends.

Prices vary widely by property. At ryokan, ¥2,000 to ¥5,000 per 45 to 60 minutes is common, and day-use bookings run ¥3,000 to ¥12,000 per hour. Many overnight guests receive the bath at no extra charge. Other listings give ¥1,000 to ¥4,500 for 40 to 50 minutes and ¥3,000 to ¥8,000 for 45 to 60 minutes. In Beppu, private baths cost ¥1,500 to ¥5,500 depending on tier and guest status. Keep these figures separate from the price of a whole stay, which runs ¥25,000 to ¥45,000 per person per night for rooms with an in-room bath and includes kaiseki dinner and breakfast. Confirm the current slot price with the property before you book.

Booking works in several ways. Many properties let guests reserve a time slot at check-in, and popular baths fill up quickly, so booking the slot early in the stay keeps the choice open. First-come, first-served baths with an availability sign are often free but may carry suggested time limits. Day-use kashikiri is hard to find in the major cities. Beppu is the notable exception, where private baths are often sold as day-use. Some ryokan do not accept day visitors, and higaeri (day-visit) hours may be limited. If you expect to arrive late, call the ryokan first. Some properties include one complimentary session per stay. In Beppu, many ryokan include one free 45-minute slot per stay, and that practice does not extend to other areas.

The Japanese term ?? (kashikiri) means reserved for one party, so use that term when you ask at the front desk.

What Public Bath Admission Costs

Admission to general public baths, the sent? type, falls under ceilings that each prefectural governor sets under the Price Control Order, an Imperial Ordinance from 1946. The Yamaguchi Prefecture notice on the designation of these ceilings describes the system. Super sent? and hot-spring facilities usually sit outside these ceilings. The table below lists the ceilings for seven jurisdictions, in yen.

Each prefecture sets its own ceiling, so the figure for the prefecture you plan to visit applies. Later revisions may have changed these numbers, and the prefectural website is the place to check the current ceiling. Towel rental fees at sent? are set separately, and the ceilings above do not state them.

Five Rules to Check Before You Go

• Wash before the bath: Sit at a washing station and rinse thoroughly with soap. Keep soap out of the shared water.
• Keep the small towel out of the water: Rest it on the edge of the bath or fold it on your head. Carry the large towel to the changing room.
• Check the tattoo rule before you pay: Ask the front desk whether tattoos are allowed. Also ask how much cover is accepted and whether the rule applies to the same bath you plan to use.
• Book a private bath for full coverage: Reserve a kashikiri slot of 40 to 60 minutes if a tattoo or a preference for privacy rules out shared baths. Confirm the price at the property.
• Confirm the local age rule for mixed bathing: The national guideline sets about 7 years old as the separation age, but the local ordinance for the city or prefecture you visit is the binding rule.