I am due to start a round the world trip this November (with my partner – no tattoos) and one of legs of the trip is to Japan in spring 2025.
My original plan was to get my first tattoo (small to medium on upper arm) before the trip but I wanted to check whether that makes sense, especially as I have never been to an onsen before.
Looking for any advice on whether it would be better to wait for my first tattoo until after Japan to get the most out of the onsen experience.
Are there any "must see" onsens that are strictly no tattoos? I know there are some that accept with tattoos or atleast tattoo coverings but would there be any major ones that we would miss out on?
Is there any other major reasons to hold off on getting a tattoo before my trip or would it be easy enough to enjoy the experience fully even if I did have a tattoo?
If there are already topics that I have missed that cover this topic then please tag me (and apologies in advance!).
Many thanks!
by Bengiy2000
12 comments
If there’s no urgency to get the tattoo, why not just wait?
It’d be easier to not but it’s not insurmountable. Your skin isn’t going anywhere though you can wait.
If you decide to go for the tattoo, then Kinosaki Onsen, all the public onsen are ok with tattoo and overall I think it’s the onsen town I visited that I felt was the most unique.
If it is a small tattoo you can cover it up with a large bandage.
Depends small tattoos are easily enough to cover with a skin bandage. Larger tattoos are harder. But either way, it would probably just be easier to wait and get the tattoo when you return.
If you can wait to get it after the onsen it’d be better, also buy some Tegaderm to cover it, it’ll help you keep it clean while you travel in hot season
I’ve got some friends with large tattoos and they simply went in the onsen anyway. Even specifically non-tattoo-friendly ones, and nothing happened. Depending on the time and location, many onsen aren’t very crowded and so you can get away with no one noticing your tattoo. But if it’s your first time you might be a bit too shy to take that risk.
It’s also a moral grey area. Some think it’s generally disrespectful to enter with tattoos. Personally I don’t think it’s disrespectful as the reasons for the tattoo rule are to do with keeping the Yakuza out. A rule based on practicality rather then respect imo.
If it’s small or not too obvious, I don’t think you’ll have issues covering it up. Remember you can’t submerge a tattoo in water for a few weeks after getting it anyway!
You’re taking the risk of not being able to enter most onsens. Personally, I’ve been to many onsens and the best I’ve been to are those tiny ones mostly used by locals. It’s a fun experience. As far as I know, most don’t accept tattoos and while no one will jump at you for having one, refraining from using the onsens is simple respect.
I’d just wait to have the tattoo frankly.
Tattoo healing is not much fun especially if this is your first one. I don’t see why you’d want to get one before a trip where a key part of your experience is going to be ‘dunking yourself into a hot bath full of sulphur’. which imn going to gather is not conducive to the healing process.
This is on top of having your arm hurting and then rubbing up against your clothing all the time. At home you’re likely not going to be forced to walk around all the time. But if you’re abroad, yuou’ll be ‘forcing’ yourself to do things and your tattoo may not like that. You’ll also need some supplies for healing that you may not understand how to ask for in pharmacies in japan.
How long before your trip are you wanting to get a tattoo
Bear in mind that there’s quite a few healing steps for a new tattoo, one of which is not being able to soak it in water for 2 weeks because of the risk of infection
Most *onsen*s forbid tattoos. Gyms, pools, and beaches are other trouble spots. Also, you won’t notice, but people *will* judge you if you have visible tattoos.
Heed, also, those people mentioning health conditions related to new tattoos.
Wait until after you leave Japan (at the earliest: I don’t know what other places you’ll be visiting view tattoos).
> Are there any “must see” onsens that are strictly no tattoos?
Yeah, like 99.9% of onsen are “no tattoos”