Guides
Onsen with tattoos
Practical guides built from one register: what 631 Japanese inns publish about tattoos, quoted and dated. We label every inference; when an inn states no rule, we say so.
Wooden bath pail · Photo: Soica2001 (talk) (photo page on Wikimedia Commons, opens in a new tab) · Public domain (licence, opens in a new tab)
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- The short answerCan you go to an onsen with tattoos?85 of 631 Japanese inns we checked publish a rule that lets tattooed guests bathe; 69 publish a no-tattoo rule and 207 publish nothing. What the rules say and how to find a way in.
- Japanese to copyHow to ask a ryokan about tattoos451 of 631 inns we checked publish no tattoo rule. Polite Japanese messages you can copy — shared bath, cover stickers, private bath, in-room bath — with the English meaning.
- Plan BRefused because of tattoos?69 inns we checked publish a rule that does not permit tattoos. The alternatives our data supports: private baths, in-room baths, cover stickers and asking before you book.
Ways in
- Shared OKShared baths that allow tattoos27 of 631 inns we checked publish that tattooed guests may use the shared bath on site. Every one, with its conditions, the source and the date we checked.
- Covered OKTattoo cover stickers40 inns we checked let tattooed guests into the shared bath if the tattoo is covered. 12 state a sticker size. Sizes, how many, price and who supplies them — inn by inn.
- Private bathsPrivate onsen for tattoos18 inns confirm a private hot-spring bath for tattooed guests; 17 more confirm a private bath that is not hot-spring water or not open yet. At 243 others we found a private hot-spring bath but no tattoo rule.
- OperatorsHotel group tattoo policiesFor 29 stays in our register, the tattoo rule we cite is a group-wide page published by their operator. 7 operators: what each rule says, the policy page, and which stays it covers.
By region
- RegionOnsen near Tokyo46 of 226 stays we checked in 11 towns near Tokyo publish a rule that lets tattooed guests bathe; 85 more have a private bath but no stated rule. Town by town.
- TokyoTokyo hotels and tattoosWe checked 25 Tokyo stays. 2 publish a rule that lets tattooed guests bathe; 19 publish nothing. Which ones, and what the silent ones list instead.
- RegionOnsen in Kansai11 of 79 stays we checked in 4 towns in Kansai publish a rule that lets tattooed guests bathe; 28 more have a private bath but no stated rule. Town by town.
- RegionOnsen in Kyushu9 of 102 stays we checked in 6 towns in Kyushu publish a rule that lets tattooed guests bathe; 69 more have a private bath but no stated rule. Town by town.
Onsen towns
- Kusatsu 45 checked
- Kurokawa 28 checked
- Kinosaki 31 checked
- Yufuin 25 checked
- Izu 28 checked
- Hakone 23 checked
- Atami 26 checked
- Arima 23 checked
- Beppu 15 checked
- Nikko 17 checked
- Dogo 23 checked
- Kawaguchiko 21 checked
- Shima Onsen 11 checked
- Unzen 11 checked
- Takayama 22 checked
- Noboribetsu 15 checked
- Ibusuki 15 checked
- Naruko 12 checked
- Ikaho 13 checked
- Tamatsukuri 11 checked
- Kinugawa 21 checked
- Nasu 13 checked
- Ginzan 12 checked
- Zao 17 checked