2024 Tours
Onsen Etiquette
Japan's volcanic terrain means there's no shortage of natural hot springs, called onsen in Japanese. Onsen are not only great for relaxation, but claim to provide other health benefits too. Here are some tips for first-timers:
Please note, most onsen do not permit guests with tattoos to use the baths. To get around this, guests should be booked in ryokan with in-room baths, rent out a private bath (called kashikiri), or if their tattoos are small enough to be covered up, skin-coloured tattoo seals (covers) can be bought from drugstores, allowing them to enter the large baths.
Here are some links that list tattoo-friendly onsen, as well. (Note that All Blacks Tours does not necessarily endorse these sites and the information should be verified directly with properties before recommending them to your clients.)
- Tattoo-Friendly.jp
- Tsunagu Japan: 8 Hot Springs & Bathhouses That Even Those With Tattoos Can Enter
- Live Japan: Tattoo-Friendly Hot Springs and Sento in Tokyo