Onsen with tattoos: the rules, the options, the etiquette

Whether you can bathe with a tattoo is up to each bath: the government has said the final call rests with each facility’s manager.^[5] Policies differ from bath to bath: some ask you to cover a tattoo or accept small ones, and private baths avoid the question entirely.^[6][2],[3] Read this before you book a ryokan or a day at an onsen town. If your hotel room has its own bath and you will not use a shared one, you can skip the tattoo part.

Key facts

• Who decides: each bath facility’s manager, not a national rule.^[5]
• What the Japan Tourism Agency asks operators not to do: refuse a bath only because of a tattoo.^[1],[4]
• Your options: cover it with a seal, bathe at a quiet time, or use a private bath — all examples the agency gave operators.^[2],[3]
• Private baths at ryokan are in your room or booked with staff for a set time.^[6],[7]
• What it costs at a Tokyo sento: ¥550 for adults over 12.^[8]

Before you go

• The facility’s tattoo policy, asked directly (email the inn or ask at the desk)
• A cover seal large enough for your tattoo, if the facility accepts covered tattoos
• A small towel and a hair tie if your hair is long
• A booking for a private bath, if you need one
• A plan to bathe before, not after, drinking alcohol

How do I use an onsen or sento, step by step?

The Tokyo Sento Association publishes the procedure for public bathhouses; ryokan and onsen baths follow the same order. For manners outside the bath, see the general Japan etiquette guide.

1. Take off your shoes and put them in the shoe locker

   Shoes stay at the entrance.^[8]

2. Pay at the front desk or ticket machine

   At a sento you pay the bathing fee before you go in.^[8]

3. Undress fully in the changing room

   Put your clothes in a locker and take the key with you. No swimsuits and no underwear in a sento or ryokan bath.^[8],[6]

4. Wash at the seated shower before you get in

   Sit on the stool and wash your whole body, then rinse off all the soap.^[6],[7],[8]

5. Get into the bath without your towel

   Keep the small towel out of the water: leave it at the side or on your head. Tie up long hair.^[6],[7]

6. Soak, and skip the bath after heavy drinking

   The Japan Tourism Agency asks guests not to bathe late at night or after drinking a lot of alcohol, to prevent accidents.^[6]

7. Dry off before you go back to the changing room

   Wipe yourself down with the small towel before you step back into the changing room.^[8]

Can I go in with a tattoo?

Who sets the rule?

The Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) wrote to the national hotel, ryokan and onsen associations. It said that refusing a bath only because someone has a tattoo is not appropriate.^[1],[4]

The JTA notice is guidance to operators, not a right of entry. The government later said its examples do not cover every case and that each facility’s manager decides.^[5] The guidance was written for foreign visitors; the government said it does not apply the same handling to Japanese people with tattoos, because it had not found the same friction among Japanese people.^[5]

What are my options?

1. Cover it. The JTA’s first example is a seal over the tattoo so other bathers cannot see it; hygienic bathing wear is mentioned as another method.^[2],[3] The agency also gives the example of not asking for anything when a tattoo is small, such as palm-sized.^[2]
2. Bathe at a quieter time. The second example is bathing when few families are in the bath.^[2],[3]
3. Use a private bath. The third example is a private bath or a guest room with its own bath.^[2],[3] These are usually charged extra and need booking.^[6],[7]

How do I check before I go?

Ask the facility directly, before you book. The JTA says ryokan policies range from no restrictions to case-by-case decisions, and guests with tattoos can use private baths without issue.^[6] The ryokan stay guide explains how private baths and booking work at an inn.

Walking a pilgrimage route with onsen stops? The Kumano Kodo guide covers the trail; the steps above apply at any bath along the way.

Frequently asked questions

Can I wear a swimsuit to cover my tattoo?

No. Sento and ryokan baths, like most Japanese baths, are used without swimsuits or underwear.^[8],[6] Bathing wear is only an option where the facility itself allows it.

Can children use a sento?

Yes. Tokyo sento charge less for children aged 6 to 12 and less again for children under 6.^[8]

Is it safe to bathe if I have a medical condition?

The Japan Tourism Agency asks guests not to bathe after heavy drinking.^[6] That is a general caution, not advice for your condition; ask your doctor before you travel.

Is there a list of tattoo-friendly onsen?

Private lists exist, but this guide does not cite them because policies change. Ask the facility directly before you go.