What the 11 stays we checked in Shima Onsen (Gunma) publish about tattoos, researched on each stay's official site (exceptions labelled) with the evidence on the stay's own page. Data checked 11 Oct 2026.
1 of the 11 stays we checked publishes a rule that lets tattooed guests bathe (verified); 9 more are possible: a hot-spring private bath is listed, but the inn hasn't stated a tattoo rule (our inference, not a promise). Of the rest, 1 publishes a no-tattoo rule.
Written rules first: the stay itself (or its operator) says tattooed guests may use the shared bath, may use it if the tattoo is covered, or may use a private hot-spring bath. Then the stays that list a hot-spring private bath but say nothing about tattoos — that one is our inference.
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In brief: Allowed in all baths per the inn's own English article (dated 2025-09-21). The inn's English FAQ frames it via the 3 free private baths / in-room baths ("No problem. We have a private open-air bath..."). Japanese pages are silent.
Inn's official site · checked 11 Oct 2026
A hot-spring private bath is listed but the inn has not stated a tattoo rule. A private bath means nobody else is in the water, so a shared-bath rule may not apply — our inference, not the inn's word. Ask before you book.
Our inferencePrivate hot-spring bath, reservable — listed on the inn's official site. The inn has not published a tattoo rule.
No tattoo rule published · private bath listed on the inn's official site · checked 11 Oct 2026
Our inferencePrivate hot-spring bath — listed on the inn's official site. The inn has not published a tattoo rule.
No tattoo rule published · private bath listed on the inn's official site · checked 11 Oct 2026
Our inferencePrivate hot-spring bath — listed on the inn's official site. The inn has not published a tattoo rule.
No tattoo rule published · private bath listed on the inn's official site · checked 11 Oct 2026
Our inferencePrivate hot-spring bath, reservable — listed on the inn's official site. The inn has not published a tattoo rule.
No tattoo rule published · private bath listed on the inn's official site · checked 11 Oct 2026
Our inferencePrivate hot-spring bath, reservable — listed on the inn's official site. The inn has not published a tattoo rule.
No tattoo rule published · private bath listed on the inn's official site · checked 11 Oct 2026
Our inferenceHot-spring bath in your room — listed on the inn's official site. The inn has not published a tattoo rule.
No tattoo rule published · private bath listed on the inn's official site · checked 11 Oct 2026
Our inferencePrivate hot-spring bath — listed on the inn's official site. The inn has not published a tattoo rule.
No tattoo rule published · private bath listed on the inn's official site · checked 11 Oct 2026
Our inferencePrivate hot-spring bath — listed on the inn's official site. The inn has not published a tattoo rule.
No tattoo rule published · private bath listed on the inn's official site · checked 11 Oct 2026
Our inferencePrivate hot-spring bath — listed on the inn's official site. The inn has not published a tattoo rule.
No tattoo rule published · private bath listed on the inn's official site · checked 11 Oct 2026
This stay publishes a rule that does not permit tattoos. Under each name: which baths the rule covers, what we found about a private bath, and whether the ban goes further. A listed private bath is not a yes — the inn has not said tattooed guests may use it, so ask.
From the inn's FAQ answer about the large shared bath (大浴場).
The cited rule says tattooed guests may not use the shared bath. Private bath: not recorded.
Every stay we checked in Shima Onsen has a published rule or a listed private bath.
Each stay's page has a polite Japanese message you can copy and send before booking — or read our guide on asking.
How to ask a ryokan →A schematic of the 11 stays above, by status. Every stay on it is also in the lists above.
Each pin sits in the free spot nearest its position in our data, so none overlap. Not a street map.
Shima Onsen is in Nakanojo, north-western Gunma Prefecture, along the Shima River.
Lake Okushima, a dam lake, lies at the upper end of the valley.
草津 · GunmaKusatsu45 stays checked · 9 verified · 21 possiblePhoto: 雷太 (photo page on Wikimedia Commons, opens in a new tab) · CC BY 2.0 (licence, opens in a new tab)
伊香保 · GunmaIkaho13 stays checked · 3 verified · 3 possiblePhoto: Liza Chan from Japan (photo page on Wikimedia Commons, opens in a new tab) · CC0 (licence, opens in a new tab)
日光 · TochigiNikko17 stays checked · 4 verified · 4 possiblePhoto: Miyuki Meinaka (photo page on Wikimedia Commons, opens in a new tab) · CC BY-SA 4.0 (licence, opens in a new tab)
鬼怒川 · TochigiKinugawa21 stays checked · 7 verified · 3 possiblePhoto: Saigen Jiro (photo page on Wikimedia Commons, opens in a new tab) · CC0 (licence, opens in a new tab)Researched by the Tattoo Onsen Japan editors from each stay's official site (exceptions — a prefecture database or an operator's group-wide policy — are labelled on the stay's page). Data checked 11 Oct 2026. English translations are ours.
Rules change. Before booking, read the stay's page and, if in doubt, ask the stay. How we verify →