Tattoo-friendly onsen in Japan

Which onsen in Japan allow tattoos?

20 facilities in our list state on their official site that tattoos are fine without a cover-up:

• Hakone Yuryo 箱根湯寮
• Goshono-yu 御所の湯
• Ichino-yu 一の湯
• Jizo-yu 地蔵湯
• Kawaguchiya Kinosaki Riverside Hotel 川口屋城崎リバーサイドホテル
• Kinosaki Yamamotoya 城崎温泉 山本屋
• Kono-yu (Kinosaki Onsen public bath) 鴻の湯
• Mandara-yu まんだら湯
• Nishimuraya Honkan 西村屋本館
• Nishimuraya Hotel Shogetsutei 西村屋ホテル招月庭
• Yanagi-yu 柳湯
• Gozanoyu 御座之湯
• Otakinoyu 大滝乃湯
• Sainokawara Open-Air Bath 西の河原露天風呂
• Candeo Hotels Kyoto Karasuma Rokkaku カンデオホテルズ京都烏丸六角
• Candeo Hotels Osaka Namba カンデオホテルズ大阪なんば
• Candeo Hotels Osaka The Tower カンデオホテルズ大阪ザ・タワー
• Candeo Hotels Tokyo Roppongi カンデオホテルズ東京六本木
• Daikokuyu 大黒湯
• Koganeyu (Tokyo store) 黄金湯 東京店

Allowed with conditions

30 facilities accept tattoos only under a stated condition — read it before you go:

• Atami Onsen Yuyado Mikan no Ki 熱海温泉 湯宿みかんの木 — Tattoos should be covered with a towel
• Hotel New Akao ホテルニューアカオ — Official pages CONFLICT - see notes
• Marine Spa Atami マリンスパあたみ — Guests with tattoos are asked to cover them with tape or a rash guard
• Oedo Onsen Monogatari Premium Atami 大江戸温泉物語 Premium あたみ — Large baths refused in principle for guests with tattoos
• RISONARE Atami リゾナーレ熱海 — Hoshino Resorts policy: no restriction on facility use because of tattoos
• TAOYA Atami TAOYA熱海 — Large baths refused in principle for guests with tattoos
• Tsuki no Sumika Atami Juraku Hotel 月のすみか 熱海聚楽ホテル — Small tattoos (about postcard size or smaller) can be shown without covering; larger tattoos are not addressed
• Onyado Nono Beppu 別府八湯 御宿 野乃別府 — Bathing is refused in principle for guests with tattoos
• Hakone Kowakien Yunessun / Mori no Yu 箱根小涌園ユネッサン・森の湯 — Tattoos (incl. stickers/paint) are refused in principle
• Hakone Yumoto Onsen Tenzan (Tenzan Tohji-kyo) 箱根湯本温泉 天山湯治郷 ひがな湯治 天山 — A tattooed guest visiting alone is not refused
• TAOYA Hakone TAOYA箱根 — Large baths refused in principle for guests with tattoos
• Yumoto Fujiya Hotel 湯本富士屋ホテル — Refused in principle in the large bath
• Gensen Ichinoyu 源泉一乃湯 — Guests with tattoos are refused in the large bath
• Kirishimaya Ryokan 草津温泉 桐島屋旅館 — Guests with partial tattoos worn for fashion may use the shared baths
• Kusatsu Onsen Hotel Village 草津温泉ホテルヴィレッジ — Guests with tattoos are asked not to use the onsen
• Naraya 草津温泉 奈良屋 — Guests with tattoos may not use the large baths
• Onyado Nono Kyoto Shichijo (Renge no Yu) 天然温泉 蓮花の湯 御宿 野乃京都七条 — Bathing is refused in principle for guests with tattoos
• Asaya Hotel 鬼怒川温泉 あさやホテル — Guests with tattoos are asked not to use the large baths
• Hotel Kinugawa Gyoen 大江戸温泉物語 ホテル鬼怒川御苑 — Large baths refused in principle for guests with tattoos
• KAI Kinugawa 界 鬼怒川 — Hoshino Resorts policy: no restriction on facility use because of tattoos
• Oedo Onsen Monogatari Premium Kinugawa Kanko Hotel 大江戸温泉物語 Premium 鬼怒川観光ホテル — Large baths refused in principle for guests with tattoos
• TAOYA Nikko Kirifuri TAOYA日光霧降 — Large baths refused in principle for guests with tattoos
• Candeo Hotels Osaka Shinsaibashi カンデオホテルズ大阪心斎橋 — Guests with tattoos are asked to use tattoo cover stickers
• Minoh Onsen Spa Garden 箕面温泉スパーガーデン（大江戸温泉物語） — Tattoos must be fully covered by up to 2 of the facility's paid cover stickers
• Solaniwa Onsen Osaka Bay Tower 空庭温泉 OSAKA BAY TOWER — Tattoos must be completely covered with the facility's own tattoo cover stickers (sold on site)
• Asakusa ROX Matsuri-yu 浅草ROXまつり湯 — Tattoos/body art must be fully covered with up to 2 of the facility's designated stickers
• HOSHINOYA Tokyo 星のや東京 — Staff may still refuse public-bath access if they judge tattoos could make other guests uncomfortable
• Maenohara Onsen Saya-no-Yudokoro 前野原温泉 さやの湯処 — Tattoo must be completely covered by up to 2 of the facility's designated cover stickers (11 x 20 cm)
• Thermae-Yu (Shinjuku) テルマー湯 新宿店 — Men who are foreign tourists: allowed if one designated tattoo sticker is worn (it may not cover everything); passport or air ticket must be shown
• Tokyo Toyosu Manyo Club 東京豊洲 万葉倶楽部 — Tattoo must be fully covered by up to 2 of the facility's cover sheets (max 11 x 20 cm)

Which famous onsen do not allow tattoos?

18 facilities in our list say on their official site that guests with tattoos cannot use the shared baths. Some of them offer a private bath instead — see each page.

• Atami Korakuen Hotel 熱海後楽園ホテル
• Ocean Spa Fuua オーシャンスパ Fuua
• Suginoi Hotel 別府温泉 杉乃井ホテル
• Ginzanso 仙峡の宿 銀山荘
• Fujiya Hotel 富士屋ホテル
• Hakone Kowakien Ten-yu 箱根小涌園 天悠
• Hotel Ichii 草津温泉 ホテル一井
• Hotel Sakurai 草津温泉ホテル櫻井
• Dormy Inn Premium Kyoto Ekimae (Hanahotaru no Yu) ドーミーインPREMIUM京都駅前 天然温泉 花蛍の湯
• Sagano Onsen Tenzan no Yu さがの温泉 天山の湯
• Noboribetsu Manseikaku 登別万世閣
• Naniwa no Yu 天然温泉 なにわの湯
• Spa World スパワールド 世界の大温泉
• Keio Takaosan Onsen Gokurakuyu 京王高尾山温泉 / 極楽湯
• Shimizuyu 清水湯
• Spa LaQua (Tokyo Dome City) 東京ドーム天然温泉 スパ ラクーア
• Times Spa RESTA タイムズ スパ・レスタ
• Tokyo Somei Onsen SAKURA 東京染井温泉 SAKURA

33 facilities do not mention tattoos on their official site (Atami Seaside Spa & Resort, Hyotan Onsen, Kannawa Mushiyu (Steam Bath), Shibaseki Onsen, Takegawara Onsen and Fujiya Inn and others). “Not stated” does not mean allowed.

All facilities: filter by area, policy and type

“Checked” links to the official page the policy comes from. How we check

What do the policy labels mean?

• ✓Tattoos allowed

  The official site says guests with tattoos may use the baths, with no cover-up required.

• !Allowed with conditions

  Allowed only under stated conditions — for example covering small tattoos with stickers, or using a private bath only.

• ✕Not allowed

  The official site says guests with tattoos may not use the shared baths (a private bath may still be offered — see conditions).

• ?Not stated on official site

  We could not find any tattoo rule on the official site. This does not mean tattoos are allowed — ask the facility.

Tattoo-friendly onsen by area

• Tattoo-friendly onsen in Tokyo — 15 checked, 8 accept tattoos (incl. with conditions)
• Tattoo-friendly onsen in Hakone — 9 checked, 5 accept tattoos (incl. with conditions)
• Tattoo-friendly onsen in Kyoto — 7 checked, 2 accept tattoos (incl. with conditions)
• Tattoo-friendly onsen in Osaka — 7 checked, 5 accept tattoos (incl. with conditions)
• Tattoo-friendly onsen in Beppu — 6 checked, 1 accept tattoos (incl. with conditions)
• Tattoo-friendly onsen in Kinosaki — 12 checked, 10 accept tattoos (incl. with conditions)
• Tattoo-friendly onsen in Kusatsu — 12 checked, 7 accept tattoos (incl. with conditions)
• Tattoo-friendly onsen in Ginzan — 6 checked, 0 accept tattoos (incl. with conditions)
• Tattoo-friendly onsen in Noboribetsu — 9 checked, 0 accept tattoos (incl. with conditions)
• Tattoo-friendly onsen in Nikko & Kinugawa — 8 checked, 5 accept tattoos (incl. with conditions)
• Tattoo-friendly onsen in Atami — 10 checked, 7 accept tattoos (incl. with conditions)
• Private onsen and kashikiri baths
• Onsen tattoo rules explained