In general, a person’s first visit to an onsen will follow a short sequence found nearly everywhere in Japan. The typical sequence consists of: 1) undressing completely prior to entering the spa; 2) bathing with your body and towel or hair out of the water; 3) drying off; and then 4) returning to the changing room after finishing. These steps do not vary much between locations throughout Japan, although Tanabe City’s tourism bureau provides its own version of these steps and allows for slight variations from them by some spas.
Onsen etiquette is relatively simple to learn, and once you have learned the basic tenets, you will know what to expect on your first trip. However, the rules that often cause confusion for first-time visitors to spas are the ones that cannot be found in any onsen-related guidebooks. For example, does a specific onsen allow tattoos? Is an acceptable bathing suit considered clothing? Are towels available at the counter or sold separately? Are there actual showers available in the washing area? As each facility sets its own rules and these rules can change, it is advisable to contact the facility prior to your visit to get answers to these questions. If you ask four questions, you will have nearly all the information you need in a single email.
Before Your First Onsen: Check Tattoos, Bath Options and What to Bring
There are three answers published by Hakone Kowakien Yunessun to the question of whether a tattoo is a reason to avoid bathing at the facility. All three answers are valid, as they refer to three segments of the facility that each have a different requirement. The facility’s published FAQ states that in most instances, tattoos are not permitted, and that guests with tattoos may only use the facility’s swimsuit area if their tattoo is covered with a rash guard. Guests may use the Mori no Yu bathing area if their tattoo is completely covered with two tattoo cover stickers. If guests cannot cover their tattoo using the two tattoo cover stickers option, they may use the eight private baths instead. Therefore, the complex does not have any unusually complicated rules relating to tattoos. Following is what a review of an actual “check the policy” would look like after reviewing any real “check the policy.”
You should have read this section on each facility’s site on September 1, 2026, and you should check with the specific facility about any specific regulations or conditions regarding your visit prior to making any reservations.
Before going to Japan and deciding to experience Japanese onsen, first determine which onsen location you are planning to visit before determining which onsen facilities will be utilized. This will dictate all of your future onsen options. A communal onsen is the traditional style: there is one body of water used by multiple customers, separated by sex, and all customers must enter into the communal onsen without any clothing. Alternatively, a private onsen (or kashikiri, which translates to exclusive use), is rented in one-hour increments. The Japanese national tourism organization views kashikiri as a valid choice of participation; therefore, many people who participate in kashikiri claim the experience is a great advantage, and there is no inference of inferiority. Another alternative is the swimsuit area. It is imperative to note there are some facilities where two completely separate areas exist. For example: at Hakone Yuryo, no swimsuits are allowed in the public onsen, while at Yunessun, there is a swimsuit area – separate from the nude bath – for which visitors must purchase a ticket for entry. Both examples are open to the public with the same policies – however, they are an hour apart from each other. Hakone Yuryo’s visitors’ guide states flatly that bathing in swimsuits is not allowed at its baths.
Because tattoos are assigned meaning only when specifically linked to a certain bath, therefore, tattoo responses will differ depending upon which bath was used. On April 1, 2025, Hakone Yuryo lifted all restrictions regarding the display of tattoos. There will be nothing to hide, and subsequently nothing to ask about, the future display of your tattoo; whereas the answer given by Yunessun is tied to the specific purchase of an access ticket to one of their designated “zones”. A sticker is not a universal solution to tattoo display restrictions. For example, in a widely-viewed r/JapanTravelTips thread titled “Japan Travel Tips” that was published in 2025 by someone who lives in Japan, a responder recounted their experience with other users stating that several onsens have “no sticker” policies for tattoos, while the original poster described their friend, with full sleeve, leg, and back tattoos hidden under clothing, being told to wait outside the facility before being allowed in. The decision to impose restrictions on tattoos falls on the facility; therefore, if it has entered the words “no tattoos, no exceptions” in its house rules, it has also made the decision about what can be used to cover up the tattoo.
As a travel agency, the publisher of this guide has a vested interest in selling trips; so for this reason, I’d recommend that you reach out directly via email to the bath you were considering going to. The reply you receive from the host or operator will come from the individual who enforces the rules at the entrance to that location.
The quiet one is the specific service for which the ticket is actually purchased. General guides often state that, “towels are frequently available for rental,” which is both true and not very helpful, as the FAQ on the Hakone Yuryo website shows that they do NOT rent out towels, you need to purchase them from reception, and as of September 2026, they are sold at 550 JPY for a bath towel and 300 JPY for a face towel. Even though you have to buy the bath towel that you are going to use in the public bath, when you use the private open-air bath, you’ll receive a face towel that is included with the private open-air bath options. For the same day, same building, you buy the bath towel for the public bath, you receive one in the private open-air bath. At Yunessun, they rent rather than sell the bath towels, charging 250 JPY for a bath towel and 150 JPY for a face towel. The website of Yunessun states clearly that admission covers the entrance only, not soaps and shampoos, though most public baths have soaps and shampoos for wash stations, so you’re relying heavily on the word “usually”. The Tanabe City Guidance Document states that there are some public baths that do not provide soaps or shampoos.
The four questions to send before you book
Send these requests directly to the facility and specify the exact bath you are going to use in your request; anything less specific will only receive a vague response.
- Do you admit guests with tattoos, and does that answer apply to the specific bath I have named? A facility with a public bath, a private bath and a swimsuit zone can answer differently for each.
- If covering is required, what exactly counts — stickers, a rash guard, tape — and is any of it sold or rented on site? This is the question that stops a covered tattoo turning into a refusal at the counter.
- Is a private bath available on my dates, how far ahead must I reserve it, and can I book online? Hakone Yuryo, for one, publishes a one-month booking window that closes at 15:00 the day before, so “we’ll sort it out when we arrive” is not always an option.
- What is included with my ticket, and what must I bring or buy — towels, indoor wear, soap, a swimsuit? Ask it as a list, because facilities answer this one item by item.
When using a bathing suit designed to cover surgical scars, it should be added to the end of your message as a fifth point instead of being assumed: as per the Yunessun website, it is possible to wear such a suit while bathing; however, the website does not provide such suits and reminds you that you must bring one yourself. The message you want to deliver represents all the preparation you require prior to visiting; everything else you need to do will occur once you arrive at the facility, beginning with properly interpreting the signage at each door of entry.
Arriving at the Onsen: Shoes, Changing Rooms and Getting Undressed
At least in ryokan, tourists cannot rely solely on the colour of the curtains for identifying the baths. In fact, many ryokan change the bath assignments between night and day. Therefore, it is imperative to check which bath is designated for the appropriate gender prior to entering the bath. This is a very important point that Tanabe City’s tourism bureau outlines in its bathing guide.
While the traditional colours associated with men (blue) and women (red) are an easy way for most people to identify the bath they should use, the national tourism organisation and the bathing procedure also provide a warning: “While men typically use blue curtains and women red curtains, this is not always the case.” Therefore, when identifying bath facilities, it is recommended to look at the kanji (Chinese characters) that are used in Japan to identify the guests who are eligible to enter each bath — 女 represents women, while 男 is for men. Prior to travelling to Japan, spending 30 seconds memorising these characters will help ensure safe and enjoyable visits to the ryokan; particularly if a ryokan’s curtain indicates that both the men’s and women’s baths are the same (湯), which will lead to confusion.
A recent post (April 2025) on r/JapanTravelTips post by a guest at a ryokan (Japanese inn) mentions that while he was taking his morning bath, a woman entered the men’s changing room. He stopped her from entering and pointed out that had he not been there, she probably would not have known she had come into the men’s changing room because the men’s side of the building had been the women’s side the day before. Another long-term resident of Japan (who commented in the same thread) shared that this same thing has occurred to him and that it happens frequently to both Japanese and foreign guests – often in the mornings on auto-pilot and not looking at the signs. A third comment gives an example of when the wife of this poster was caught in a similar situation when visiting a ryokan in Kinosaki when the noren (hanging curtain) colors did not designate which side of the building was for men and which side was for women.
So the takeaway is really about the habit of reading the characters on every single entry. This includes revisiting a building that you may think you know. When a bath rotates (alternating use), schedules are usually posted at the changing-room entrance or the front desk and can easily be asked about at the time of check-in; not at 6:00 AM when you’re wearing just a towel.
Upon entering the facility, patrons must remove their shoes and place them in a designated shoe locker before entering the change room. Upon entering the change area, patrons are required to place all items, including clothing and valuables, into a provided basket or locker as well as provide their phones. Both Hakone Yuryo and Yunessun forbid patrons from using cameras or phones while in the change room or bathing areas. It is important to be aware that many facilities have these same policies. Additionally, patrons should leave rings, watches and necklaces in their locker, as the minerals in the water may taint them.
Patrons are to completely undress prior to entering the bathing area and only one item (the small towel) will accompany the patron into the bathing area. The small towel serves three purposes during the patron’s visit: cleaning, modesty, and drying. The large towel should remain in the change room (this is the primary reason japan-guide refers to the small and large towels as separate). Long hair should be secured before entering the bathing area instead of after getting into the baths.
The modesty question (or lack thereof) is of great concern to some travellers, and so there is a definitive answer to the modesty issue. A guest on japan-guide.com, who is travelling to a Hakone onsen for their first time (June 2015), described their difficulty about being naked in front of others and enquired as to how to handle the small towel when travelling to the bath. A significant answer, from the thread, pointed out the difference between these two things that are often confused for people new to a public bath, namely that it is perfectly normal to hold the small towel over your body as you walk around the bathing area; only when you enter the water do you need to take the towel off your body. Conversely, guidance from Tanabe City suggests that you may also use the small towel for covering yourself when moving from the changing area to the bath. They do not require that you walk around without a towel, they simply advise that you must not place the towel in the water.
Therefore, this shows us where this progression to towel use moves from modesty to hygiene. That point being when you reach the washing station, just a few steps before entering the bath.
Washing Before You Soak: What to Do at the Shower or Wash Basin
You will have seen two different instructions for this step, and they are both real. Hakone’s tourist association recommends that you completely wash your entire body before entering the shared bath and to rinse any soap off first. Japan-guide’s procedure page has the same step as its first step: rinse your body well, using some form of trough, tap, bowl or shower. The guidance from Tanabe City has a middle ground that falls somewhere in between both — rinse or wash.
Neither of these instructions are in conflict with each other. In fact, they illustrate the same threshold where you enter the shared water clean and free of soap. While Hakone’s guidance tells you the reason for this in one line — you clean yourself as a form of respect for the purity of the water and the other bathers who come after you — Tanabe’s guidance explains that it is about maintaining that separation of bathwater from washing water. This is the very mechanism of the bath. The bath is not a cleansing agent. The bath is what you are keeping clean, and everything at the washing station is to keep your dirt and your soap from entering the bath.
Once you have thought about it in that way, the answer to the wash or rinse question will vary by your situation. When first arriving from a day of travel, it is best to get clean with a wash using soap and shampoo if you like and thoroughly rinsing. During the second or third soak on that first day, when you are already clean; the sources you have referred to here are referring to this type of rinse. This is the format that Tanabe has laid out for you; there are some people who will do a quick rinse, soak for a bit, then do a thorough wash, then return to the baths after they are clean.
The other surprise about the washing areas is that they are not all standardised. Most have a seating shower station and a detachable shower head, bowl, and stool; other locations have taps and buckets without showers at all. In November 2025, on a r/JapanTravelTips thread, one lady described her first onsen experience in a traditional, elderly-style public bath, where there were no showers; she had to crouch on the ground next to the bathtub and wash herself with a bowl by scooping from the bathtub, which she found awkward because she was new to it. Tanabe City’s guidance explains the exact method for washing properly when there is no shower: Fill the washbowl with water from a tap or scoop from the tub, crouch beside it and wash yourself starting from your feet and legs and up, and let the used water run off to the drain instead of back into the bathtub.
In this section I will go over two basic items that are frequently asked about by people who feel shy or embarrassed. One of the items is the disparity between what has been written in the “Official Instructions” of Tanabe City and how that has actually been implemented. Tanabe City instructs people to sit on the stool when on the wash bench, but the reason for this is because when people stand up, water comes down from them onto the wash bench and into the bathtub, which ultimately makes their fellow bathers uncomfortable. Bathers who participated on this thread – one of whom was a Japanese woman who introduced herself – stated that it is totally normal to take off the stool and to stand up momentarily in order to wash themselves properly, and that nobody is paying attention to them. Both of these groups are correct, and the only thing that brings them into agreement is the water. You can get clean the best way you know how, but you also need to keep your water low and downwards directed at all times, then promptly return to sitting down. The second topic is hair. Washing hair is optional, but keeping it away from the tub is not optional. Use either a tie or a net.
There are two parts of a habit that conclude this step. First, you should wash away all soap from your body before standing up from the bench. Soap is the only thing on your skin that will definitely find its way into the bath, and it needs to be rinsed away before starting up again. Second, elaborate on how to take care of the washroom, by rinsing off the stool and the washing bowl, and to leave the washroom exactly as it was when you arrived. This is a simple act of courtesy that separates those who have read a list and those who understand how the list was created.
Clean, soap-free and dry-haired, you are ready for the water itself — where the rules stop being about hygiene and start being about the fact that other people are in there with you.
In the Bath: Towels, Hair and Onsen Etiquette
The reason your towel does not enter the bath with you is because every source states that it should not be placed in the water. All of them, without exception, provide a direct answer regarding where to place your towel: either on top of the head or on the edge of the bath. The Japan Ministry of Environment provides the same answer in an unqualified format in their ‘Bathing Safety’ section, while the Onsen Association provides a reason for this action in the same line, which is to maintain bathwater cleanliness.
In order to better understand the other bathing etiquette guidelines, consider the following three categories that support them: those that keep the water clean, those that protect others from you and those that protect yourself. These three categories can be found in one long list that many people can remember, but separating them into these categories will allow people to figure out how to apply things that have not been written as a statement.
In Beppu City, the water rules are clearly stated. These rules can be found in Beppu City’s Living Guide (also known as Standard Living Guide), and, as such, Beppu’s English Living Guide is one of the most comprehensive in Japan. Printed on page 43 are the water rules—absolute rules that you must follow while you are living and visiting Beppu. No towels in the bathtub. Tie long hair so it cannot get into the water. No swimming and no diving. No food or drink in the bathroom, and no washing clothes there either. Nothing that was on your body or in your bag goes into water that other people are sitting in — that is the entire logic, and once you have it you will not need the list.
The water rules for Beppu City are uniform; however, your towel falling into the water is a very common mistake. The tourism board of Tanabe City states it directly explains that if this happens to you, do not be embarrassed because it is very common. So, if your towel does accidentally fall into the bathing facility, the best course of action would be to take it out of the water and dry it off outside of the water, into the area around the edge of the bath. The mistake is not dropping your towel; the mistake is drying it off in the same area where it fell into the water.
Another set of rules that exist to protect other people is softer in their wording and are referred to by Beppu City as follows (I have never come across this particular wording before in any commercially published materials): “Everyone bathes differently – some prefer hot water, some prefer warm water in their bath. Enjoy them all together, peacefully.” The same standard being mentioned to us is not “silence” or “stillness,” but rather the general understanding that everyone shares a bath. More specifically: do not place your items in the washing area and try to reserve your spot, do not disturb others using the bath, speak softly and move slowly in and around the bath, leave plenty of room for all users of the bath, and when there are many people in a bath it is not acceptable to take up as much space as possible when bathing.
The third group is about your own body, and this is where the tone should change, because it is the only part of an onsen visit that can genuinely go wrong. The Ministry of the Environment’s booklet, compiled in March 2019 by the Japanese Society of Balneology, Climatology and Physical Medicine, sets out its bathing cautions plainly: avoid bathing immediately before or after a meal or after drinking alcohol; hydrate before and afterwards; avoid bathing when you are over-tired or within thirty minutes of exercise. It also lists conditions under which a person should not bathe at all, and states that the elderly, children and people with disabilities should not bathe alone. Beppu City’s guidance adds the warning a first-timer is most likely to need: get in gently after rinsing, because entering a hot spring suddenly can make you feel dizzy.
There are two practical conclusions that can be drawn from this. The first is that if you start to feel unwell, you should get out — this is what Tanabe City’s guidance says, and the Japan Onsen Association adds the safe way to do it: leave the bath slowly, keep your head low, and ask the people around you for help. Standing up too quickly is how people faint, so stand up slowly in any case. The second conclusion is that you should not treat soak time as a target. Both the Ministry and Beppu City frame the figure they publish the same way — around three to ten minutes to begin with, depending on the temperature of the water, extending as you become accustomed to it — which is guidance for acclimatising, not a duration you are supposed to achieve. Nobody is timing you. Get out when you are warm, sit on the side, go back in if you want to.
For individuals with pre-existing heart or lung conditions, eligible pregnant women, high blood pressure or patients prescribed with medication; we would encourage reviewing each of the safety guidelines thoroughly before making any travel arrangements. Safety concerns should, however, be discussed with your physician and are therefore not the responsibility or duty of a travel agency. The etiquette will provide you with all necessary information up until that point; it is only upon completing that process that a travel agency can offer recommendations for proper bathing etiquette while in hot springs.
After Soaking: Rinsing, Drying Off and Cooling Down
The Unzen Tourist Association offers a different approach to determine when to exit a bath: #1. When your forehead becomes slightly moist, get out immediately. #2. This method is based on physical conditions (water temperature, season/weather conditions; fit to your body). There are no specific time intervals, but every bath will have its own “average bath time.” This is why you will not see any time intervals given in the association’s rules. The association’s website also states that individuals should exit the bath soon after their foreheads begin to feel moist. The bathing principles for the sulphur springs also emphasize this approach.
There are many “English” guides available; some even provide their recommendations as “rules.” In fact, all of the English guides state the same two points: “Do not rinse off and leave minerals on your skin.” However, they all provide additional information about the rationale behind these recommendations. For example, the Ministry of Environment states in its pamphlet that when bathing in a hot spring, it is best not to rinse off any onsen minerals, and that individuals should just wipe off excess moisture from their bodies. There is also a clarification about when individuals with sensitive skin or individuals using hot springs that contain stimulant minerals (i.e., acidic, sulfur) should rinse off.
The application of the exception to Unzen illustrates a useful example of this principle. The hot springs at Unzen contain a high concentration of sulphur and are very acidic, therefore the associations in these springs indicate that any individual with sensitive skin should rinse with clean water, while at the same time providing an explanation as to why individuals ordinarily would not be required to rinse. Thus, the two rules, both from the same source, are not in contradiction with one another. Therefore, when going to Unzen, the general guideline would be to not rinse after using the hot springs, unless you have a reaction to the hot spring on your skin, or if the water is sulphurous or acidic, or if you do not want to carry the sulphur scent with you to dinner. A post in the japan-guide forum stated that the last step individuals take at Unzen is to rinse with clean water before attending dinner, and it is a valid reason to rinse with clean water prior to going to dinner.
Everyone knows about soaking in hot water at a bathhouse, but few know how to clean themselves properly after getting out of the bath. This process of cleaning up is typically two separate steps that are combined into one action by most people. A 2015 forum thread asked specifically if someone wanted to leave after soaking in the bath, was it proper to wash their body at the wash station and then dry themselves off right away? The answers given were basically the same: people should use their small towel to wipe off while still in the bathroom, and once they reach the locker, use the larger towel to fully dry off. As one participant on this thread put it: wipe your entire body and hair down before leaving, as it is poor etiquette to walk into the locker area with water dripping from your body; while you will have used the small towel to dry off somewhat before leaving, when you arrive at the locker area, you should dry off with the bath towel. One of the others said something that explained how to dry off completely: first wring the small towel out so that it is as dry as possible, then use it to wipe off any remaining water off yourself.
This is not only good manners but also part of Beppu City’s rules for residents, stating “don’t enter the changing room directly from the bath with a wet body.” The reasoning here is clear: the changing room contains multiple other people’s clothing, which is placed on the ground to keep dry from bathing water.
The parts of the experience that most travellers typically skip because they have places to be. Both Beppu City and the Unzen Association have one common message: Don’t allow yourself to become chilled! Take 30 minutes or so for yourself by way of resting in a calm atmosphere if needed. Unzen recommends this because it can take 2 hours for normal blood pressures to settle back down after bathing; therefore, after bathing, it is important to drink plenty of fluids again after bathing as repeated days of bathing can be more tiring than most people think. The Ministry booklet has also listed drinking fluids prior to and after! If the facility in question provides a tatami room or a section of chairs and a vending machine, they are meant to provide you with a comfortable place to rest and a source of hydration.
Your first visit, in order
- Read the characters on the curtain — 女 women, 男 men — and check again on every later visit, because many places rotate the baths.
- Shoes off at the entrance. Clothes, valuables, phone and jewellery in the locker.
- Undress completely. Take only the small towel. Tie up long hair.
- Sit at a washing station and wash, working upwards from your feet. Rinse off every trace of soap.
- Get in gently. Towel on your head or on the side, never in the water.
- Get out when your forehead starts to perspire. Sit out, cool down, go back in if you want to.
- Wipe down with the small towel before you leave the bathing room; dry properly with the large towel at your locker.
- Rehydrate and sit for a while before you go anywhere.
Where First-Timers Actually Slip Up
People do not typically have issues with the actual sequence of the facility – it is eight steps long, is basically identical at almost every bath facility, and should now be memorised. The problem that visitors face is coming to the counter with a general idea of what they can expect to find at the facility, along with their luggage in hand, only to be presented with a different set of experiences once they reach the counter. To avoid this issue, do the one thing that the entire guide is based on: before making a reservation at any facility, email them the four questions related to the specific facility (bath) you plan to use. The rest of your experience, including the discrepancies in your answers, can be sorted out on the day of your visit.
Frequently asked questions
Can you go to an onsen while down there? The official guidance states no, and you should know this is a house rule and not legally binding. Beppu City provides this information in its residents’ guide — when you are menstruating, don’t go into the onsen — and Tanabe City’s tourism information specifically mentions that women who are menstruating should not use them in a communal bath. Most facilities do not check or post this information in English; because of this, many travellers find differing opinions in various forums about whether you can use an onsen menstruating or not. The official position is that both Beppu City and the Tanabe City tourism sector have a consistent policy regarding this matter. If your cycle is regular, this would be a strong reason to book a private bath; the water would not be shared with anyone, and you won’t have any fear about contaminating the water with your period.
Is a sento the same as an onsen? No. The legal difference is what qualifies as both a sento and a onsen. The Japan National Tourist Organisation states a sento is simply a facility using normal (not geothermal) heating for its water. To call itself an onsen, a facility must meet three criteria regarding the use of water from a natural, geothermal, mineral-rich source; therefore, there is no possibility of both types of bathing being done at the same facility. There are only a few places in Japan that allow for the possibility of both types of bathing. The etiquette provided in this guide is applicable to both types of bathing. Only at an onsen does the question of rinsing off after bathing arise because with a sento, you will not have any of the minerals from the spring on your skin after your bath.
Is it Safe to Drink Hot Spring Water? The government booklet states that hot spring water can only be consumed if the hot spring allows its consumption and that it must be consumed in limited quantities. Additionally, hot spring water is not to be carried with you from the hot spring but rather consumed at the hot spring. Beppu City has the same information regarding which hot springs have been approved for drinking. The government booklet also contains information about limits on drinking hot spring water for those with certain medical conditions. Pregnant or other ill people should contact a physician for permission to drink hot spring water as treatment.
Can a Pregnant Woman Bathe in the Hot Springs? The government booklet states that pregnant women can bathe in hot springs, but they should avoid prolonged exposure to the heat and should be cautious of slippery floors. The booklet contains the official position of the government with respect to pregnant women in Japan, but because every person is unique and has different conditions or medical conditions, we recommend that every person should read the entire list of cautions and contraindications and contact their physician for advice regarding bathing while pregnant.
