Precautions

Tattoo

According to a research performed by Japan Tourism Agency in 2015 (*1), about 56% of onsens reject the entry of people who have tattoos. These days, this is not always the case, and foreign visitors can be an exception. However, if you have tattoos, please make sure to ask in advance. 

If you have tattoos, see the Tattoo Friendly Onsens page in our website. The onsens listed in this page are tattoo-friendly. Also, at the bottom of each article, you can find tags related to the article. The "Tattoo Friendly" tag indicates that the onsen is tattoo-friendly. We hope our website can help everyone find and enjoy onsens in Japan.

*1: http://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/topics05_000160.html (Japanese)

Things to Bring

1. Hand towel (required)
   You must bring a hand towel with you into the bathroom so that you can wipe yourself off before entering the dressing room after bathing.
2. Shampoo (optional)
   If you need a shampoo, bring it into the bathroom.
3. Soap (optional)
   Same as above.
4. Small plastic pouch (recommended)
   Put your valuables (passport, wallet, phone, etc.) in the pouch and keep it with you while bathing, you can place it on the edge of the bathtub within your reach. Basically, you have to keep your valuables by yourself.

Steps

Here are the basic steps to take a Japanese bath. The steps may change depending on the facilities of an onsen.

1. Prepare and take your bath kit (see the "Things to Bring" section).
2. Generally there are two entrances. One is for Men (男湯 in Japanese) and the other is for Women (女湯 in Japanese). Go to the appropriate entrance.
3. Go to the dressing room and get naked. If lockers are available, you can use one to keep your valuables.
4. Go into the bathroom. Make sure to bring your hand towel.
5. With a bucket, scoop some water from the bathtub and pour it over yourself to rinse off the surface dirt. Continue scooping and pouring to make sure to rinse your private parts and feet.
6. Ease in to the bath and sit quietly. You can place your towel on your head while in the water.
7. Soak in the bath until your body is heated thoroughly, and get out carefully.
8. With a soap, scrub yourself until you get clean. And shampoo your hair if you want.
9. Rinse all the soap and shampoo off using a shower (or with the water from the bath).
10. Ease back into the bathtub and soak in the bath as long as you like.
11. Feel your body relax deeply.
12. After bathing, make sure to wipe yourself off before entering the dressing room.
13. Put on your clothes in the dressing room. When you leave, make sure to confirm your valuables.