Ryokan guide
Onsen etiquette
Every rule in a Japanese bath follows from one idea: the water is shared and nobody washes in it. Once that makes sense, the rest is detail.
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The order of things
Nearly every rule in a Japanese bath follows from one idea: the bath water is shared and nobody washes in it. Get that right and the rest is detail.
The sequence is: leave your shoes outside, enter the changing room for your sex, undress completely, take only the small towel with you, wash and rinse thoroughly at the taps, then get into the bath. Soap, shampoo and towels never go into the water.
Baths are separated by sex, and the curtains at the entrance are usually red for women and blue for men. The characters are different too, so if you are unsure, ask at reception rather than guess.
Washing before you soak
The washing area has low taps with a stool and a bowl. Sit down to wash rather than standing, so water does not spray the people beside you. Wash your whole body, rinse every trace of soap away, and rinse the stool and the area when you finish.
Long hair is tied up so it stays out of the water. The small towel is for washing and for modesty while you walk; most people fold it and rest it on their head or on the stone edge once they are in.
In the bath
Enter slowly, and expect the water to be hotter than you are used to. Keep your voice low, stay still, and do not swim, splash or put your head under. Phones and cameras do not belong in the bathing area at all, which is worth remembering since the outdoor baths are often the part people most want to photograph.
Soak for a few minutes at a time rather than one long stretch, and sit out on the edge whenever you start to feel too warm. There is no prize for staying in.
Afterwards
Use the small towel to wipe yourself down before you step back into the changing room, so the floor stays dry. Many bathers choose not to shower off afterwards, on the grounds that the minerals continue to work on the skin, but nothing obliges you either way.
Drink water. Hot baths take more out of you than they feel like they do, and every inn has water or tea near the changing room for that reason.
Bathing with tattoos
There is no national rule. Individual inns decide, and policies differ between two properties in the same town. Some refuse entry to the shared bath, some ask that small tattoos be covered with a sticker, and a growing number no longer ask at all.
The reliable solution is to avoid the question: book a room with its own bath, or an inn with a reservable private bath. Both appear as tags in our listings. If you would rather ask directly, a short message at the time of booking is normal and not considered rude.
When to take it easy
Hot spring water is hot, often around forty degrees or above, and the heat is the point. Go in gradually, keep the soaks short, and get out if you feel light-headed.
Bathing straight after drinking alcohol or a large meal is a bad idea, and most inns say so on a notice by the door. If you are pregnant, or you have a heart condition, high or low blood pressure, or any other condition affected by heat, ask your doctor before the trip rather than deciding at the edge of the bath.
Words you will see
| Term | Written | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Otokoyu | 男湯 | Men's bath |
| Onnayu | 女湯 | Women's bath |
| Datsuijo | 脱衣所 | Changing room |
| Rotenburo | 露天風呂 | Open-air bath |
| Kashikiri | 貸切 | Private bath, booked for one group |
| Kakenagashi | かけ流し | Water flows through without recirculating |
Common questions
- Can I wear a swimsuit?
- Not in a traditional bath. A few bathing complexes have mixed areas where swimwear is required, but those are a different kind of facility and are signed as such.
- What do I do with my glasses?
- Wearing them into the bath is fine and common. Leave anything valuable in the locker or the safe in your room.
- Are the baths open all night?
- Often until late, with a break in the early hours for cleaning. Many inns switch the men's and women's baths over during that break, so check the times on the door before your morning soak.
- Is it rude to look around?
- Staring is, as anywhere. Otherwise nobody is paying attention to you, which first-time visitors are usually relieved to discover.
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