Private onsens?

9 comments

1. Search for 貸切温泉, 貸切風呂, or 家族風呂.

2. Also try getting your international driver’s license and renting a car, i was just out there and where you can go and what you can do is really limited by the buses routes, schedules, and times. Unless you plan on staying at a resort.

3. Okinawa isn’t really onsen country. Sure there are a few around the island but nothing compared to the mainland. Your best bet might be a hotel/resort with private baths but I expect they’re also few and far between. Book a flight to Tokyo and head to Hakone if you really want the onsen experience.

4. There aren’t any “proper” onsen in Okinawa. Need to come up to mainland for that. Tattoos aren’t as big of an issue as you hear online. Just avoid town sento baths and hit up the best ones in the deep mountain countrysides. Those are usually always fine. Been going for 20+ years with tats. Never had an issue.

5. You also should tell the front desk person that you have tattoos and ask if that’s a problem. It’s the polite way.

6. Nobody bothers foreigners with tatoos except places that would rather not have foreigners there anyway.

7. There is one by the airport. Though not natural.
   [Ryujin Hot Spring](https://maps.app.goo.gl/wEaMSYWXwte42yf69?g_st=ic)

8. You’d have better luck in Kyushu. I went to one in Fukuoka that specifically said tattoos are ok, and half of the guys there were 40+ and clearly were or had been Yakuza at some point in their lives 😂 I speak Japanese tho, so I made some small talk with them, didn’t ask about their jobs tho

9. I’ve been to the onsen resort near the airport / terraces and they specifically asked if we had tattoos and said they were not allowed.

   Flights to Fukuoka are usually pretty cheap from Okinawa. We went to 2 spa towns up there (had to rent a car) and lotsssss of places had private rooms that were super nice. We went to Inn hotel of the rainbow Hanakeshiki which wasn’t specially nice, but we just wanted the experience. We also went to Kurokawa Onsen Okunoyu (Kurokawa has a ton of onsen). This one was super nice and also had private rooms but you couldn’t reserve them, it was first come first serve. I’m sure there are onsens closer to Fukuoka but I just didn’t research that.

   If you’re in Okinawa you might be better off getting a hotel room with a hot tub with a beach view. For example, we stayed at Sea Breeze Kouri on Kouri Island. Each room has a hot tub overlooking the bridge and water and although it’s inside, is still pretty nice and the owner is super nice as well. Would recommend getting a rooftop meal while you’re there!