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Japanese Onsen Etiquette: A First-Timer's Guide

Last updated October 22, 2026 · 2 min read

Japan has thousands of hot spring sources and a bathing culture that goes back more than a thousand years. Visiting an onsen is one of the most relaxing things you can do on a trip to Japan, and the etiquette is easy once you know it.

Before you get in

1. Take off your shoes at the entrance and put them in a locker or on the shelf.
2. Choose the right curtain. Baths are usually separated by gender: often a blue curtain marked 男 for men and a red one marked 女 for women. Some swap sides daily.
3. Undress completely in the changing room and put your clothes in a basket.
4. Take only the small towel into the bathing area.

Wash first, thoroughly

Sit on a stool at one of the washing stations and wash your whole body and hair with soap, then rinse off completely. Pour a few bowls of bath water over yourself (kakeyu) to get used to the heat. You must be fully clean before entering the bath.

In the bath

• Keep the towel out of the water. Fold it on your head or set it on the edge.
• Tie up long hair so it does not touch the water.
• Enter slowly and quietly. No swimming, splashing or diving.
• Do not put your head under.
• Keep conversation soft, and no phones or cameras.

Afterward

Rinse or not, depending on the water: some people leave mineral water on their skin. Dry off with your small towel before going back to the changing room so you do not drip on the floor. Drink water.

Tattoos

Many onsen have historically banned tattoos because of their association with organized crime. This is changing, especially in tourist areas, and some baths allow covered tattoos or have no rule at all. Check ahead, or book a private bath (kashikiri-buro).

Ryokan stays

Staying at a ryokan, a traditional inn, is the classic onsen experience. You get a yukata robe to wear around the inn, multi-course dinners and often outdoor baths (rotenburo).

Famous onsen towns

• Hakone, near Tokyo, with views of Mount Fuji on clear days.
• Kusatsu in Gunma, known for its central yubatake hot water field.
• Beppu in Kyushu, with its “hells” of colorful boiling springs.
• Kinosaki near Kyoto, where visitors walk between seven public baths in yukata.
• Noboribetsu in Hokkaido, with its steaming Hell Valley.
• Dogo Onsen in Matsuyama, one of the oldest onsen in Japan.

Our directory includes Japanese springs whose names are recorded in Latin script. See the Japan map.

Listed Japan hot springs

See all 27 Japan springs on a map.

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