Onsen Etiquette: What First-Timers Get Wrong

Before You Even Reach the Bath

• Undress completely in the changing room and leave your clothes and larger towel in a basket or locker there — you bring only a small hand towel into the bathing area itself.
• Wash first, thoroughly. Every onsen has a wash area (araiba) with low stools, handheld showers, and soap or shampoo. Sit down, wash your whole body, and rinse completely before getting anywhere near the shared bath water. This is the single most important rule, and skipping it is the one thing that will actually draw attention.

In the Bath Itself

• Keep your small towel out of the water — fold it on your head or set it beside the bath. It exists for modesty during the walk over, not for use in the water.
• Tie up long hair so it doesn’t touch the water.
• Keep it quiet. A soft conversation is fine; swimming, splashing, or loud talking is not. Onsen bathing is meant to be relaxing for everyone in the water, not just you.
• No photography, for obvious reasons — phones and cameras stay in your locker.

The Tattoo Question

This is the rule that causes the most anxiety before a trip, and the honest answer is: it depends. Tattoos have historically been associated with organized crime in Japan, which is why some onsen — particularly older or more traditional ones — still restrict visible tattoos. That said, attitudes have shifted significantly, especially in areas with more international visitors, and it’s now common to find:

• Onsen that are fully tattoo-friendly with no restrictions at all
• Onsen that allow tattoos if they’re covered with a waterproof patch (widely available at drugstores)
• Ryokan offering private or family baths as a booking option, which sidesteps the issue entirely

If a specific onsen matters to you and you have visible tattoos, it’s worth checking their policy — either on their website or by asking your accommodation — before you show up.

Mixed Bathing

The overwhelming majority of onsen in Japan today have separate baths for men and women, usually marked by a curtain (noren) at the entrance — red or pink for women, blue for men. A small number of rural, historic onsen still maintain konyoku (mixed-gender) baths, but these are a distinct, unusual exception rather than something you’re likely to encounter by accident.

Why the Rules Exist

Almost everything above comes back to one idea: the water is shared, and it isn’t being drained and refilled between each bather the way a private bathtub would be. Washing beforehand, keeping your towel out of the water, and staying quiet aren’t arbitrary formalities — they’re the practical version of “leave the shared water as clean and calm as you found it.” Once that clicks, the rest of onsen etiquette mostly follows on its own.

Specific onsen policies — especially around tattoos and day-use access — vary by establishment and can change over time. Treat this as a general framework and confirm specifics for any onsen you’re especially set on visiting.

Related Reading

Ready to pick a destination? See our guide to Japan’s best onsen towns, or for broader cultural context, our guide to Japanese culture and manners.

Frequently Asked Questions