hello! new to these travel subs so i posted this on r/JapanTravel and was told to post here instead.
my friend and i are going to japan in may (tokyo, kyoto, osaka mainly) and we’ve been recommended by everyone who has been to go to an onsen. the problem is we both have tattoos.
she has a 4-5 inch one on her inner ankle and i have 3 on my ribs and 1 tiny one on my foot. both are easily covered (so we’re not concerned about them for sightseeing or when visiting temples/shrines) but i know the whole deal with japan, tattoos, and the culture. we’re also both east asian females in our 20s; even though we might not look it at first glance it’s obvious we’re tourists. regardless, even if we get a tourist pass, that doesn’t mean we want to be disrespectful.
it’s been mixed opinions both online and irl about whether or not we should go. even if we cover them up, will places still let us in?
i looked up a few confirmed tattoo-friendly onsens online (who also provide cover ups) but they don’t look very “traditional” or like they’ll give an authentic onsen experience. most onsen towns probably won’t let us in at all so i’m not bothering, but if anyone knows otherwise please do let me know.
any recommendations of if visiting an onsen is worth it for us? if so, any recommendations in tokyo or kyoto? thanks so much!
eta: i checked the tattoo and onsen tattoo tags on r/JapanTravel and the questions are either about onsens in other cities/towns or where to get a tattoo in japan, or are 5-9 years old posts lol.
by avoadi