Onsen etiquette comes down to a few simple rules: wash thoroughly before you get in, bathe without a swimsuit in gender-separated baths, keep your small towel and your hair out of the water, stay quiet, and don't take photos. Check tattoo rules before you go. Follow those, and you'll fit right in at almost any Japanese hot spring.
A first onsen visit can feel intimidating. There's nudity, a language barrier, and a sense that everyone else knows unwritten rules you don't. The good news is that the rules are few, logical, and easy to follow, and most first-timers are surprised by how relaxing it is once they're in the water.
This guide walks through a visit from start to finish, covers tattoos and private baths, and ends with four onsen towns that are ideal for a first trip, with places to stay. For the history and types of hot spring water, see our Japanese onsen guide.
Take off your shoes. At the entrance, put your shoes in a locker or on the shoe shelf. At a day-use onsen, you'll usually buy a ticket from a machine or pay at the front desk, and you can rent or buy towels if you didn't bring them.
Find the right side. Baths are separated by gender. Look for the curtains, called noren: 男 means men and 女 means women. They're often blue for men and red for women, and at some places the sides swap during the day, so check each time.
Undress completely in the changing room. Put everything in a basket or locker, including your large towel. Take only the small towel in with you, and tie up long hair.
Wash before you soak. Sit on a stool at a shower station and wash your whole body with the soap and shampoo provided, then rinse off every bit of soap. This is the most important rule of all.
Ease into the bath. Get in slowly. Keep the small towel out of the water; many people fold it on their head. Don't swim, splash, or put your head under, and keep your voice low.
Take breaks. The water is hot, so short soaks are normal. Sit on the edge to cool off, then go back in, or try a different bath, such as the outdoor one, called a rotenburo.
Dry off before the changing room. Wipe yourself down with the small towel so you don't drip on the changing room floor. Then dress, drink some water, and relax.
Tattoos: many traditional onsen still don't allow visible tattoos, while others welcome them, allow cover stickers for small tattoos, or offer private baths. Always check the rules before you go. The easiest option is to stay at a ryokan with a private bath, called kashikiri-buro, or a room with its own open-air tub, so the rules never come up.
For many first-timers, the best introduction is a night at a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn with its own hot spring baths. You'll usually change into a yukata, a light cotton robe (wrap the left side over the right), and wear it to dinner, around the inn, and even to the baths. Many ryokan serve a multi-course dinner and Japanese breakfast, and many offer private baths you can book for your group.
A ryokan also lets you bathe at quiet hours, late at night or early in the morning, which is the most peaceful way to enjoy your first onsen.
These four towns are easy to reach, used to international visitors, and full of ryokan with hot spring baths. Prices change by season, and weekends and holidays book up fast, so check dates early.
The easiest onsen trip from Tokyo, with ryokan of every style, from simple inns to rooms with private open-air baths. On clear days you can see Mt. Fuji, and the area loop takes in Lake Ashi, the Hakone Ropeway, and the volcanic valley of Owakudani. Best for a first onsen night on a short trip.
See Hakone hotels and ryokans →The classic onsen town experience. Guests stroll a willow-lined canal in yukata and wooden sandals, hopping between the town's seven public bathhouses. Many inns give their guests a pass for the public baths. Best for atmosphere and a traditional night out.
See Kinosaki Onsen ryokans →Steam rises from all over Beppu, one of Japan's best-known hot spring cities. Beyond the baths, visitors tour the colorful "hells," hot spring pools meant for viewing, not bathing, and try a sand bath, where you're buried in naturally warm sand. Best for variety and a Kyushu trip.
See Beppu hotels and ryokans →Known for its strong, acidic spring water and the yubatake, a steaming field of wooden channels in the town center. Visitors can watch yumomi, a traditional performance of cooling the hot water with long wooden paddles. Best for a classic mountain onsen town.
See Kusatsu hotels and ryokans →If your schedule is tight, a guided day tour is an easy way to see Hakone and Mt. Fuji from Tokyo without planning trains and buses. Some travelers combine a tour with a soak at a day-use onsen, or book a Hakone night separately to try a ryokan bath.
A popular guided day tour from Tokyo that visits the Mt. Fuji and Hakone area and returns to Tokyo by shinkansen bullet train. Check the listing for the current itinerary, meeting point, inclusions, and cancellation policy before booking, since stops can change with weather and season.
See the tour on GetYourGuide →Yes, in traditional gender-separated baths, swimsuits aren't worn. If you're not comfortable with that, book a private bath (kashikiri-buro) or a ryokan room with its own tub.
Wash your whole body thoroughly at the shower stations and rinse off all the soap before getting into the bath. The shared water must stay clean.
It depends on the place. Some onsen don't allow visible tattoos, some allow them or permit cover stickers, and private baths avoid the issue entirely. Check the rules before you go.
Use it to wash and to cover yourself while walking, but never put it in the bath water. Many people fold it and rest it on their head while soaking.
Hakone is the easiest from Tokyo. Kinosaki Onsen offers the classic experience of walking between public baths in a yukata. Beppu and Kusatsu are also great choices with many ryokan.
Each new tradition as it's published: where it comes from, how it's used, and where to stay.
| About Javier | Javier is the storytelling voice of Javier Discovers, a persona rather than a real traveler. This post is built from research into Japan and its traditions, not first-hand travel. Images on this site are AI-generated illustrations. |
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| Health Note | This post is for general information only and is not medical advice. Hot springs aren't safe for everyone. Talk to your doctor before using hot baths if you are pregnant or have a heart, blood pressure, or other health condition, and never bathe after drinking alcohol. |