Find your best Onsen in Japan!

How to Enjoy Onsen & Manners

Let’s explore the world of Onsen with us!

Japan is a big country of Onsen!
It has long history in Japan that they often appeared in Japanese myths and legends.
There are more than 3,000 Onsen places and more than 20,000 Onsen facilities all over Japan.
Here, we give you the guidelines and tips to enjoy Onsen!

Must-see guidelines
for taking a bath and enjoying Onsen!

We will teach you how to take a bath the Japanese way and the rules and manners to enjoy Onsen more.
Not only that, we will also give you tips to enjoy Onsen better.
After you read this article, you will become “The Master of Onsen"!

Before taking a bath

  • Check the gender section by the curtains.

    1.Check the gender section by the curtains.

    Onsen is usually separated into male and female sections.
    (Some facilities are mixed.)
    You can distinguish the section by the curtains at the entrance.

  • Take off your shoes before the dressing room.

    2.Take off your shoes before the dressing room.

    Onsen facilities are normally structured with entrance, dressing room, and bathing area.
    When you enter the entrance,take off your shoes and slippers in front of the dressing room.

  • Change your clothes at the dressing room!

    3.Change your clothes at the dressing room!

    Take off all your clothes and put them in a locker or a basket.
    Valuables should be kept safely in your room or stored in the locker at the dressing room.
    You must enjoy Onsen in naked with one face towel, it is the Japanese bath etiquette.

Point

●People with tatoos cannot enter Onsen.

 A person with a big tatoo might often be rejected to enter Onsen since they could be associated with Yakuza (Japanese mafia).

●No Swimsuits.

 Basically, you do not need to wear a swimsuit.  Enjoying Onsen in nude with a face towel is the right way.

●Using cameras and smartphones in the dressing room and bath room is prohibited.

 Let's note that you might violate other people's privacy by doing that.

●Refrain from drinking alcohol before bathing.

●Do not take a bath if you are sick or on your period.

At the bathing area

  • Let’s wash your body first!

    1.Let’s wash your body first!

    The bathing area is separated into the washing area and the bathtub.
    You need to wash and rinse your body at the washing area to clean your body before soaking in the bathwater!
    Facilities usually provides you with free soap and shampoo, but if they do not have it, you should bring it by yourself.

  • Let’s soak in the bathwater!

    2.Let’s soak in the bathwater!

    The bathwater could be very hot, so enter the bathwater carefully and slowly.
    At this moment, do not soak your towel in the bathwater with you.
    You should put the towel on your head or place it at the edge of the bathtub.

  • Leave the bath once you’re warmed.

    3.Leave the bath once you’re warmed.

    Get out the bath when your forehead gets sweaty.
    Do not soak in the bathwater too long.
    In order to keep the components of the hot spring with you,try not to wash your body after bathing.
    (People with sensitive skin should wash out the bathwater.)

Point

●Do not soak in the bathtub while you are still filthy.

 The bathtub is for everyone, you should wash your body and be clean, then you can get in the bathtub.

●Be quiet at the bathroom, be nice to people around.

 There are various people at the bath, so, you should not raise your voice or swim in the bathtub to bother the people around you.
“Washing your clothes with the bathwater is certainly prohibited”

●Do not soak your towel in the bathtub, and tie back your hair (a person with long hair).

 Do not soak the face towel in the bathtub, and also, people with long hair should tie back their hair to prevent hair fall.

●Remove all your accessories and your glasses.

 Note that the components of the hot spring sometimes can discolor your valuables such as accessories and glasses.

After bathing

  • Dry your body with a towel and go to the dressing room.

    1.Dry your body with a towel and go to the dressing room.

    Dry your body with the face towel and go back to the dressing room.
    Get your clothes from the locker or the basket, then put your clothes on.

  • Hydration and Massage!

    2.Hydration and Massage!

    After putting your clothes on, you should hydrate your body because you might lose moisture from sweating in the bath.
    The best Japanese way to hydrate is putting the hand on the waist and drinking a bottle of cold coffee latte.
    After the hydration, people can enjoy relaxing activities such as relaxing in massage chairs and so on.

Point

●Do not enter the dressing room while your are still wet.

 Dry your body with your face towel before entering the dressing room,
if you are still wet, it could be slippery and dangerous.

●Do not take amenities home.

 There are several amenities and dryers available at the dressing room,
but these are all common properties, so do not take these home with you.

There are many rules of Onsen to follow, but, the most important thing is to relax and enjoy Onsen!

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