Japan Onsen Etiquette for First-Timers: Rules, Tattoos, Winter Towns

Checked against the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the Japan Tourism Agency, Japan's Ministry of the Environment and official onsen-town pages on October 27 and 28, 2026. Each bath sets its own house rules, so confirm on the official sites and with the facility before you go.

Quick answer (as of October 28, 2026)

At a Japanese onsen you bathe naked, in baths separated by gender in most facilities. Wash your whole body at a washing station first, keep your small towel out of the water, and take breaks so you don't overheat. Skip the bath right after a meal or after drinking. Tattoos are the big variable: JNTO says some traditional onsen "may not accept people with a tattoo" but adds that "this is beginning to change," while the Japan Tourism Agency has told facilities that refusing foreign guests only because of a tattoo is not appropriate. Ask the facility before you go.

By PLoMUS Editorial Team · Checked October 27-28, 2026 against official sources

An onsen (温泉) is a hot spring bath, and for many visitors it is the most nerve-wracking part of a Japan trip. The rules are simple once you have seen them in order. This guide puts them in that order, adds the soaking times Japan's Environment Ministry recommends, explains what official bodies actually say about tattoos, and covers two snowy onsen towns using their official pages. We have not bathed at the places named here for this article; everything comes from the sources linked in each section.

The Onsen Routine in Six Steps

This diagram is our own summary of the JNTO bathing guide, the Environment Ministry leaflet and one facility's rules published by the Japan Tourism Agency. Read it left to right, top row first.

Onsen visit in six steps Six boxes: 1 shoes off and undress in the changing room, 2 pour water over yourself and wash at a washing station, 3 enter slowly with the towel out of the water, 4 soak in short rounds and rest between them, 5 dry off before going back to the changing room, 6 drink water after bathing. 1. Changing room Shoes off; leave clothes and belongings in the dressing room 2. Rinse and wash Pour water over yourself, hands and feet first, then wash fully at a washing station 3. Ease in No jumping, no swimsuit; towel on your head or at the side, not in the water 4. Soak in rounds New to it: 3-10 min, 1-2 times (Environment Ministry); rest between 5. Dry off first Pat dry with your towel before you step back into the changing room 6. Drink water Hydrate before and after; no photos in the bath area at any point

The Rules, With Who Says Them

Most onsen rules are the same everywhere, but it helps to know which come from a national body and which are one facility's house rules.

RuleWhat the source says (checked Oct 27-28, 2026)Source
Wash before you get in"Cleanliness is essential." Wash at a washing station first: "Use the soap and shampoo and be sure to rinse off completely."JNTO onsen guide
Pour water over yourself first (kakeyu)Start from the hands and feet, pour water over the whole body, wash, then get inEnvironment Ministry leaflet (March 2019)
Towel stays out of the water"Fold it and place it on your head or on the side of the bath before getting into the water."JNTO; also the Environment Ministry leaflet
No swimsuits"Onsen bathing is typically enjoyed in the nude, so clothing (including swimwear) should be left in the changing area."JNTO; one facility's published rules also say swimwear is not permitted (Japan Tourism Agency text for Hakuba Happo-one)
Quiet soakingJNTO asks bathers to "avoid swimming or splashing in the water—onsen are places of peace and quiet." The facility rules add no jumping inJNTO, Japan Tourism Agency text
No photosAsked whether you can take photos, JNTO answers: "in consideration of privacy, particularly of minors, it is absolutely forbidden!" The facility rules say the sameJNTO, Japan Tourism Agency text
No alcohol before or in the bathJNTO: "Avoid drinking alcohol before taking a bath, because it can affect your judgment." The facility rules ban bringing alcoholic drinks into the bath, and the Environment Ministry also advises against bathing after drinkingJNTO, Japan Tourism Agency text, Environment Ministry
Bringing children"Many onsen welcome families with children, but check the rules in advance." Some have family-friendly baths or private bathingJNTO

JNTO says "Changing rooms are always gender specific, as are the vast majority of onsen baths."

How Long to Soak: Japan's Environment Ministry Guide

The Ministry of the Environment's leaflet on safe hot spring use, supervised by a Japanese medical society for balneology, gives these rough times (Environment Ministry, March 2019):

WhoTime per soakHow many soaks
Not used to onsen yetAbout 3 to 10 minutes1 or 2
Used to itAbout 15 to 20 minutes2 or 3

The same leaflet also advises:

  • Avoid bathing right before or after a meal, and after drinking alcohol.
  • Drink water before and after bathing.
  • Skip the bath when you are very tired, and for 30 minutes after exercise.
  • Older people and anyone with high blood pressure, heart disease or a history of stroke should avoid hot baths of 42°C or more. People with weaker heart or lung function are better off with a half-body or partial soak.
  • Older people, young children and people with physical disabilities should not bathe alone.
  • After the bath, wipe yourself with a towel instead of rinsing the spring's minerals off. The exception: after acidic or sulfur springs, people with sensitive skin should rinse with warm water.

JNTO gives no fixed time; its advice is to "avoid staying in too long" and to "pop out to get a drink of cool water if you feel too hot." This is general information, not medical advice; if you have a heart condition or are pregnant, ask your doctor before you plan onsen time.

Tattoos: What Official Sources Actually Say

There is no single national tattoo rule for onsen. Here is what we found, in the official sources' own terms:

  • JNTO tells visitors: "Some traditional onsen may not accept people with a tattoo, but this is beginning to change!" It suggests you "[l]ook for tattoo-friendly facilities or book a private bath (kashikiriburo)" (JNTO onsen guide). JNTO gives no figure for how many facilities allow them, and neither do we.
  • The Japan Tourism Agency wrote to Japan's hotel, ryokan and hot spring associations in March 2016. Its notice on foreign travelers with tattoos said refusing a guest only for a tattoo is not appropriate, noted that people have tattoos for religious, cultural and fashion reasons, and said tattoos cause no hygiene problem. It asked each facility to consider its own approach (Japan Tourism Agency notice, reposted by Kawasaki City).
  • Fukushima Prefecture summarizes the same position from the Tourism Agency and the health ministry, while noting worries about trouble given how many Japanese people view tattoos (Fukushima Prefecture, updated August 22, 2018).
  • Individual facilities still decide. One ski-area facility's rules, published in the Tourism Agency's multilingual database, prohibit tattoos regardless of size but allow small ones to be covered with skin-colored waterproof stickers (Japan Tourism Agency text for Hakuba Happo-one, FY2018).

So both statements are true at once: national guidance discourages blanket refusals, and some facilities keep their own no-tattoo rules. The facility's posted rule is the one that applies to you.

Tattoo decision table

This table is our own, built from the example measures in the 2016 Tourism Agency notice. It is not an official policy.

Your situationOption the Tourism Agency lists for facilitiesWhat to ask before you go
Small tattoo you can coverCover it with a sticker so other bathers can't see it; the notice adds that a small (about palm-sized) tattoo that doesn't intimidate others may need no special measure"Can I bathe if I cover a small tattoo with a sticker?"
Larger or several tattoosGuide the guest to a private bath (kashikiri) or a room with its own bath"Do you have a private bath I can reserve, or a room with an in-room bath?"
You want the shared bath anywaySuggest times when few families are bathing, or a separate bath where a facility has several"Is there a time or a bath where tattoos are accepted?"
The facility says no tattoosEach facility decides its own approachFollow the rule and choose another bath or a private one elsewhere

JNTO's Ginzan Onsen page mentions kashikiri, private baths that you and your companions rent for a short time, which is one reason many tattooed travelers look for them (JNTO: Ginzan Onsen).

Two Winter Onsen Towns, From Their Official Pages

Ginzan Onsen (Yamagata)

Ginzan Onsen sits in Obanazawa City, Yamagata Prefecture, on the site of a former silver mine. JNTO describes its buildings "blanketed in snow and illuminated by the soft glow of gaslights." Its getting-there notes: the JR Yamagata Shinkansen from Tokyo to Oishida Station takes three hours and 20 minutes, then a 35-minute bus that leaves "every 60-90 minutes." The Japan Rail Pass covers the train but not the bus. Drivers must park at a designated area outside the town center (JNTO: Ginzan Onsen).

Winter brings extra rules. The Ginzan Onsen Association's 2026-27 winter page sets a park-and-ride system from December 19, 2026 to March 7, 2027, and says it may be extended if snow continues, with an update in early February. Private cars do not drive into the town: you park at the Taisho Romankan and take a timed shuttle, and visitor numbers are managed by time slot. The page asks visitors not to walk the road from the Taisho Romankan in winter, because pedestrians end up on the snowy roadway (Ginzan Onsen Association: 2026-27 winter traffic).

Shuttles leave the Taisho Romankan at :00, :20 and :40 past the hour from 9:00 to 18:00. Return shuttles run at :10, :30 and :50 until 19:30. The round-trip fare depends on when you leave. Booked in advance, it is 1,000 yen for 9:00-11:00, 700 yen for 11:00-14:00 and 1,200 yen for 14:00-18:00. Bought on the day, each costs 300 yen more.

Advance seats for 9:00-14:00 go on sale November 1, 2026 for the whole season. Seats for 14:00-18:00 go on sale on the first day of the month before. Advance booking closes at 17:00 Japan time the day before. On the day, the Taisho Romankan sells tickets only if seats are left. On October 28, 2026 the booking link was still "in preparation," so check the page again before you plan a day trip.

Coming by bus does not get you around the rules. The same page says the association plans to have passengers on the route bus to Ginzan who have no advance entry booking get off at the Taisho Romankan and change to the shuttle, and that bus riders who do reach the town may be asked to wait, because shuttle passengers get priority when the streets are crowded. Book a shuttle time even if you plan to come by bus.

Kusatsu Onsen (Gunma)

Kusatsu is an onsen town in Gunma Prefecture. JNTO calls the Yubatake hot water field "the symbol and heart of Kusatsu Onsen," says the town "has the largest amount of naturally occurring hot spring water in Japan," and describes the water as about 55°C and highly acidic. At Netsunoyu hall you can watch yumomi, where workers cool the water by turning wooden planks to a folk song. The town has no train station: the nearest is Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi, about 2.5 hours from Ueno by direct express, then a 25-minute bus. Direct buses also run from Shinjuku Bus Terminal (JNTO: Kusatsu Onsen).

JNTO says the water is cooled as it runs along the Yubatake's wooden chutes. Even so, the Environment Ministry's 42°C caution for older bathers and people with heart conditions is worth keeping in mind at any bath that feels very hot.

First-Timer Checklist

  • Check the facility's tattoo rule on its own site or by email, if you have any tattoos.
  • Bring a small towel, or ask the facility whether it provides one.
  • Leave some time between a meal and your bath, and skip the bath after drinking.
  • Bring water for after the bath.
  • For a winter town like Ginzan, check the official winter traffic page and any shuttle booking before the day.
  • Traveling with kids: they bathe with an adult, and check the facility's rules for children first.

Common Mistakes

  • Getting in before washing. Wash fully at a washing station first.
  • Dipping the towel in the bath. It goes on your head or beside the bath.
  • Staying in too long on your first try. The Environment Ministry suggests 3 to 10 minutes while you get used to it.
  • Taking a photo of the scenery from the bath. The facility rules we read prohibit photos in the bathing area, and other bathers are undressed.
  • Assuming national guidance overrides house rules on tattoos. It doesn't; each facility decides.
  • Driving to Ginzan in winter without checking. From December 19, 2026 to March 7, 2027 the town closes to private cars and runs a timed shuttle from the Taisho Romankan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have to be naked in an onsen?

Yes, at standard shared baths. JNTO says clothing, including swimwear, stays in the changing area, and one facility's rules published by the Japan Tourism Agency state that swimwear is not permitted. Your small towel goes on your head or the side of the bath, not in the water.

Can I go to an onsen with a tattoo?

Whether you can go to an onsen with a tattoo depends on the facility. JNTO says some traditional onsen may not accept people with a tattoo, though this is beginning to change, and suggests tattoo-friendly facilities or a private bath. The Japan Tourism Agency has asked facilities not to refuse foreign guests only for a tattoo and lists options such as cover stickers and private baths. The facility's own rule applies.

How long should I stay in the hot water?

Japan's Environment Ministry suggests about 3 to 10 minutes, once or twice, until you are used to onsen, and 15 to 20 minutes, two or three times, after that.

Should I shower after the onsen?

The Environment Ministry leaflet suggests wiping off with a towel rather than rinsing the spring's minerals away. People with sensitive skin should rinse after acidic or sulfur springs. JNTO calls rinsing "Personal preference" and says "there is no correct bathing style." Dry off before going back into the changing room.

Can children use onsen?

The Environment Ministry advises that young children should not bathe alone. JNTO says many onsen welcome families with children but to check the rules in advance; some have family-friendly baths or private bathing.

Do I tip at an onsen or ryokan?

Tipping is a separate topic. Our guide to tipping in Japan and Korea covers the details.

Related Guides

  • How Japan's tax-free refund at departure works, for onsen-town souvenir shopping.
  • Japan packing list by season, for a snowy onsen trip.
  • Do you tip in Japan and Korea? Our guide covers tips at a ryokan.
  • Japan New Year closures, if you are planning a year-end onsen stay.

Sources

How this article was made

Written by the PLoMUS Editorial Team with AI drafting assistance. We checked every rule, time and temperature above against JNTO, the Japan Tourism Agency, the Ministry of the Environment, Fukushima Prefecture and the Ginzan Onsen Association on October 27 and 28, 2026. We did not visit or bathe at any onsen for this article, and we do not rate facilities. We give no share of onsen that accept tattoos because no official page we read states one. The step diagram, rules table and tattoo decision table are our own summaries of the official pages. This is general information, not medical or legal advice; confirm house rules with each facility and check the official sites before you travel.

On October 28, 2026 we rechecked JNTO's onsen guide, which had moved to a new page, and the Ginzan winter page, which now lists dates and fares.

About us · Disclosure

Update log: October 27, 2026 — first version; all sources checked.
October 28, 2026 — rechecked JNTO's onsen guide (moved to a new page) and the Ginzan winter traffic page.

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