The short answer
40 inns we checked let a tattooed guest into the shared bath if the tattoo is covered. 12 state a sticker size, 17 state how many stickers you may use, and 19 say the sticker comes from the inn. 3 ask you to bring your own.
- Covered OK 40
What “covered” means
A cover-sticker rule means the whole tattoo must be hidden under skin-coloured stickers or patches while you bathe. If the tattoo is bigger than the stickers allowed, the rule does not let you in. 13 of these 40 inns also list a private bath, 4 of them with hot-spring water open now; check the inn's own row and page.
The sizes we found range from 8 × 10 cm to 11.8 × 17.2 cm per sticker, and the stated limits are 1 sticker or 2 stickers. Measure your tattoo before you go: if it does not fit under the stated number of stickers, ask the inn what it offers instead.
For 6 inns here, the rule we cite is their operator's group-wide page, not a page written for that property — see hotel group policies.
Every sticker requirement we found
| Stay | Sticker size | How many | Price | Where from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akiu Resort Hotel CrescentAkiu · Miyagi | 8 × 10 cm | Up to 1 | Not stated | Bring your own |
| TAOYA AkiuAkiu · MiyagiOperator's group-wide rule | Not stated | Up to 2 | Not stated | Inn's own sticker |
| Atami FugaAtami · ShizuokaOperator's group-wide rule | 10 × 15 cm | Up to 2 | ¥250 | Sold by the inn |
| Atami TensuiAtami · ShizuokaOperator's group-wide rule | 10 × 15 cm | Up to 2 | ¥250 | Sold by the inn |
| ISHINOYA AtamiAtami · Shizuoka | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Bring your own |
| Futsukaichi Onsen Daimaru BessoFukuoka · FukuokaPrefecture / tourism-bureau database | Not stated | Up to 1 | Not stated | Not stated |
| Yoshiike RyokanHakone · Kanagawa | 10 × 14 cm | Up to 2 | ¥250 | Sold by the inn |
| Oyado TamakiIkaho · Gunma | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Sold by the inn |
| Sanshi SuimeiIzu · Shizuoka | 8 × 10 cm | Up to 2 | Not stated | Not stated |
| Kozantei UbuyaKawaguchiko · Yamanashi | 10 × 10 cm | Up to 2 | Not stated | Sold by the inn |
| Kinosaki-no-YadoKinosaki · Hyogo | Not stated | Not stated | Paid (price not stated) | Inn's own sticker |
| Asaya HotelKinugawa · Tochigi | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Sold by the inn |
| Kinugawa Park HotelsKinugawa · Tochigi | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Bring your own |
| Ooedo Onsen Monogatari Premium Kinugawa Kanko HotelKinugawa · Tochigi | Not stated | Up to 2 | Paid (price not stated) | Inn's own sticker |
| TAOYA KawajiKinugawa · TochigiOperator's group-wide rule | Not stated | Up to 2 | Not stated | Inn's own sticker |
| Kusatsu Onsen Hotel VillageKusatsu · Gunma | 8.5 × 10.5 cm, 11.8 × 17.2 cm | Not stated | ¥165 / ¥330 | Sold by the inn |
| Daiwa Roynet Hotel NaraNara · Nara | 8 × 10 cm | Up to 2 | ¥200 | Sold by the inn |
| Onyado Nono Nara Natural Hot SpringNara · Nara | 8 × 10 cm | Up to 2 | Not stated | Not stated |
| Ooedo Onsen Monogatari KounkakuNaruko · Miyagi | Not stated | Up to 2 | Paid (price not stated) | Inn's own sticker |
| Ooedo Onsen Monogatari MasuyaNaruko · Miyagi | Not stated | Up to 2 | Paid (price not stated) | Inn's own sticker |
| Kamenoi Hotel Okunikko-YumotoNikko · Tochigi | 10 × 14 cm | Not stated | ¥220 | Inn's own sticker |
| Okunikko Hotel ShikisaiNikko · Tochigi | 10 × 15 cm | Up to 2 | ¥250 | Sold by the inn |
| TAOYA Nikko KirifuriNikko · TochigiOperator's group-wide rule | Not stated | Up to 2 | Not stated | Inn's own sticker |
| Onyado Nono Asakusa Natural Hot SpringTokyo · Tokyo | 8 × 10 cm | Up to 2 | Not stated | Not stated |
| ToyokanUnzen · Nagasaki | Not stated | Not stated | Paid (price not stated) | Inn's own sticker |
| TAOYA WakuraWakura · Ishikawa | Not stated | Not stated | Paid (price not stated) | Inn's own sticker |
Covered OK, but no sticker details
These 14 inns allow covered tattoos without saying what to cover them with, or limit the rule to small tattoos. Ask the inn what it accepts before you arrive.
| Stay | Status | What the source says |
|---|---|---|
| Atami Onsen Sakuraya RyokanAtami · Shizuoka | Covered OK | Atami Onsen Sakuraya Ryokan 8 min walk ○ ○ Covered OKThis comes from the local tourism bureau's list, not from the inn's own site.Prefecture / tourism-bureau database |
| Pearl Star Hotel AtamiAtami · Shizuoka | Covered OK | In public spaces such as the lobby and restaurants, please wear a jacket or similar, and when using the Infinity Bath (large shared bath) or fitness facilities, please be considerate about exposure. |
| Okamotoya RyokanBeppu · Oita | Covered OK | (d) When the guest has tattoos (including Western-style tattoos). However, this does not apply to small tattoos of about a single point. …The inn's terms allow it to refuse the stay, not only the baths. |
| Ryokan MatsumotoGinzan · Yamagata | Covered OK | For foreign guests, a single small tattoo is not a problem. |
| Takumi no Yado YoshimatsuHakone · Kanagawa | Covered OK | * For small tattoos that can be hidden with a cover sticker, you may be able to use the large shared bath. |
| YokotekanIkaho · Gunma | Covered OK | Out of consideration for other guests, we ask that guests with exposed tattoos refrain from bathing. We ask that you use a tattoo cover or similar. |
| YokikanIzu · Shizuoka | Covered OK | However, if you have small tattoos that can be covered, you can enjoy Yokikan's hot springs. / tattoos on your whole body or covering your entire backStated only on the inn's English page; its Japanese pages say nothing. |
| Kinugawa Onsen HotelKinugawa · Tochigi | Covered OK | Use by guests with irezumi (traditional tattoos) or tattoos is refused. You may use it if you hide them with tattoo cover stickers or similar. If they cannot be hidden, please use the bathtub in your room or the private bath. |
| YumerindoKurokawa · Kumamoto | Covered OK | Guests with tattoos are refused bathing. *However, on the premise that you declare it in advance and are considerate of other guests, we permit bathing for point tattoos (fashion tattoos). |
| Aeru Yado TakamatsuKusatsu · Gunma | Covered OK | Guests with fashion or non-offensive tattoos are welcome to enjoy our hot spring baths. There is no need to cover your tattoos during your stay.Stated only on the inn's English page; its Japanese pages say nothing. |
| Kusatsu Now Resort HotelKusatsu · Gunma | Covered OK | Guests with a small point tattoo may use the large shared bath and the pool only if it can be covered with a sticker or similar. |
| Kusatsu Onsen Gensen IchinoyuKusatsu · Gunma | Covered OK | Guests with a small point tattoo may use the large shared bath only if it can be covered with a sticker or similar. |
| NarayaKusatsu · Gunma | Covered OK | Guests with a small point tattoo may use the large shared bath only if it can be covered with a sticker or similar. |
| Grandvrio Hotel Miyajima WakuraMiyajima · Hiroshima | Covered OK | However, you may use the large shared bath only if your tattoos are completely covered with cover stickers.Operator's group-wide rule |
Practical tips
- Inn-sold stickers can run out. If the inn sells them, ask at check-in rather than at bath time.
- Bring-your-own rules leave the product to you — buy skin-coloured cover patches before the trip and bring spares.
- Every tattoo counts. Several rules say all tattoos must be covered, not only the largest one.
- Ask if unsure. Our Japanese message for sticker rules asks whether the inn provides stickers, the price, the size and the maximum number.
Related guides
- Shared 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.
- How 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.
- Hotel 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.
Onsen towns
Every status above comes from what the inn (or, where labelled, its operator or a prefecture database) publishes. We checked these sources by 12 Oct 2026. Rules change: staff on the day have the last word.
“Private bath likely” is our inference from a published listing of a private bath, not the inn's statement. “Says nothing” means we found no rule — it does not mean OK. English translations are ours. How we verify · About