Hello! I’ve been living in Japan for a year now and have always been interested in going to an onsen. But I don’t know the onsen etiquette or steps on what to do from the moment you enter an establishment. Does the rules change depending on the place or there’s one general rule and sequence e.g. where to take off your clothes, where to put it, showering, and what you’re allowed to bring inside. People who have experience especially on the female side of the onsen, I would really appreciate it if you can tell me what to do. Thanks for your time!
23 comments
tail somebody entering the same time as you and follow what the person does
some pointers
– bring the face/hand towel inside (rental or your own)
– shower with soap before dipping in
– no towels in the tubs
Many places lend out towels. And many don’t. Bring your own just in case, if unsure. One to dry yourself with afterwards, and one small one to bring into the bathing area.
You take off your clothes in the locker room and put it in a locker (or basket or whatever). Then you proceed to the bathing area with the small towel. There will be Japanese style showers lined around. The kind that you get to sit down for. There will be soap, shampoo, body wash, etc ready to use at each shower. Clean yourself with the soap etc. You can (optionally) use the small towel for that. Then enjoy your bath(s). Always bring the small towel, but keep it out of the bath itself. Place it next to the bath or dangle it on your head or whatever.
tldr: shower before diving in, and just mimic what the others are doing.
Good advice below. One additional food for thought – it might be fun to bring a friend. Could be from work, from the neighborhood, whatever. Tell them it’s your first time and they will help you.
Without overgeneralizing too much, going to an onsen with someone is a pretty normal experience for most Japanese. I know it can seem intimidating or embarrassing at first for many people – but really it’s just a normal part of life here. And I would venture to guess that this is the very fastest way to learn the ropes!
It will likely be easier than you’re imagining it.
Generally, you take your clothes off in front of the locker (or cubby, or basket, depending on the place), place your clothes and other belongings in said locker (etc). If there are other people present, it will be easy, just do as they do.
Take the face towel you’ve rented with you inside the bath area, as well as some of your own products if you want to use your own. Then proceed to the shower area. Note that these personal products are best brought in a small plastic pouch or the like and shouldn’t go beyond the shower area (don’t bring them to the edge of the onsen).
Once thoroughly showered, head to the onsen and be careful not to stay in too long if it’s your first time. Better to go in and out a few times (perfectly acceptable).
Don’t hesitate if you have other questions!
When you enter the 1st room, you’ll likely leave your shoes & change to slippers. Next you’ll find a basket or locker to place your clothing. As you leave the changing area, you’ll go through a door to the actual onsen space. Along the back wall will be several seats to clean your hair and body. You can bring your own or simply use what they provide. If you have longer hair, it’s maybe best to tie it up before entering the onsen. Some people will use the small bowls and scoop hot water and pour on their legs before getting in. I’ve found it’s just as easy to slowly ease yourself into the water and enjoy! People don’t usually bring anything in with them except glasses or maybe the small towel, but those are usually left hanging in the shower area. After, you can do your skincare with the provided cleanser, toner, moisturizer. Many will have cotton pads, q-tips, razors, and combs in the dressing area. Blow-dryers should also be provided. After you’re dressed and relaxed, outside of the dressing room might be a communal area where you can get a drink, possibly use a massage chair, or eat snacks. So be sure to bring some change.
Some onsens provide everything while others just provide the water. Check the onsen’s website. Some way even have etiquette in English.
Generally, don’t go if you have tattoos, open sores or communicable disease. Don’t go during your period.There may be some exceptions. I know people who have gone for their children’s eczema and they say it helped.
Onsen bag: hand towel for bathing and covering in the bath areas (Mine is 34 x 78.) Drying towel. (Whatever you like. This will stay in the dressing room.) Change of underwear. Set of clean clothes if desired. Travel size of shampoo, conditioner and soap, particularly if you have sensitive skin. Put it in a 100 yen tofu/drainer container to keep your stuff together in the bath areas. Cotton swabs, cotton pads, and the stuff you normally need after a bath or shower. Great time to moisturize. About 500 yen in small coins if you want to grab a drink or an ice cream after your bath. If you want to try the massage chairs, bring more coins.
By the way, this is a great emergency set to have on hand if you need to evacuate your home because of flooding or other disasters.
Have fun!
P.S. Make sure you thoroughly dry everything after you get home before repacking the onsen bag! Moldy towels and underwear are very disappointing to find when you just want to grab your bag and go! The tofu drainer really helps the the accessory side of drying.
Never stare at the bodies of the other people in the bath.
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I have a question too!!!
At an onsen I went to, the steam room had a huge bowl full of salt / or some white sandy sediment (I didn’t taste it, so I don’t know if it was salt or not). I saw a lady rub it all over her body, so I did the same… but what’s it for? to remove dead skin?? I only saw that one lady do it, but never saw anyone else do it.
As others have said, onsens vary a lot. I’ve been to some where there was just a tap (no shower) to wash yourself – using a bowl. In another, you had to clean your body in a separate pool – it was an outdoor public bath so there was nowhere for showers etc, but you were still expected to clean yourself off before getting in.
There’s various customs of cleanliness (more or less observed) eg in many places with a sauna, you are expected to use a water bowl/cup or whatever to rinse down the sweat off yourself before getting into the cold pool or another pool. Typically it is polite to wash down with water somewhere you have sat (eg in a salt or steam room, though that seems a bit unnecessary, or if sitting to cool off or chill etc). I do these things pretty religiously because I don’t want to stand out as the thoughtless gaijin.
There are any number of interesting and varied practices in more developed places. You often hand in your shoe locker key in exchange for a locker key in the onsen – that’s very common. But many other things are possible. In a super onsen you might pay for everything with a wrist band.
There are a few pools which are electric. You may be shocked by being shocked. I was the first time. I am not really a fan.
Hot onsens can be quite hot. I have once decided a pool was too hot for me.
Don’t enter the onsen area with a boner. That will not reflect favorably on you and may get you tossed (you may not have that potential problem).
I have a question about the female side of onsen too. I’ve never been in a position where it was a appropriate to ask, so I guess I might as well do it here. Some men (actually hardly any) will cover up their privates with the small towel, but the towel is too small to cover up both the boobs and the vagina. So what I’m asking is, which one do women cover?
A couple more tips
-put your phone in your bag, and don’t take it out until you’re done
-tie back long hair after showering
Onsen Etiquette in Niseko: https://www.niseko.ne.jp/en/news/onsen-etiquette-in-niseko/
In Japan is proper etiquette to challenge the guy sitting next to you in the bath to an under water breath holding contest.
You both count to three (in Japanese of course) and hold your breath and go under water.
Whoever gives up first and comes up has to wash the back of the other guy who was able to hold his breath longer in the seated shower area.
This is Japanese tradition.
Something I didn’t know and made a mistake with is you’re not allowed to submerge your hair/head in the bath water!
Don’t worry. Almost every onsen I’ve been to actually has little “How to take a bath” cards on the wall of the dressing rooms with little cartoon characters.
The first rule of the onsen is not to stare at other peoples’ junk.
Good news: There are enough foreigners in Japan that pretty much every onsen has a huge poster in the changing room with very clear instructions in japanese and english. And you’ll see like a bunch of other people there – just… do what they do.
Honestly, most places I’ve been to have an ‘Onsen etiquette’ poster with rules in English
Generally it’s
1) take your clothes off in the changing room, placing them into a locker or a basket
2) wash your whole body sitting on one of the stools (take care not to splash the people next to you).
3) rinse off completely.
4) use one of the hand buckets to rinse yourself off with water from the bath before actually getting into the bath.
5) take another rinse or quick shower every time you switch baths (some places have multiple baths – iron oxide bath, sulphur water, etc)
There are places called sento éŠæ¹¯ that are local public baths to clean up and soak in the bath. Many are just normal water but you can get the feel and mechanics of visiting of an onsen. In fact, if you are in Tokyo, there are a few places that bring in onsen water in for you to enjoy, like the place in the URL below.
https://maps.google.com?q=Furotomo%20Sento%20and%20Coin%20Laundry,%204%20Chome-5-4%20Senzoku,%20Taito%20City,%20Tokyo%20111-0031&ftid=0x60188eec3388e807:0xa3510cd01bb4a520&hl=en-JP&gl=jp&entry=gps&lucs=,47071704
The one above is quite good but it is near the infamous Yoshiwara district. There is another one near Iidabashi/Kagurazaka area, but forgot exactly where. They are relatively cheap so less than 700 or 800 yen for a few hours of pruning up and the bath water is fairly hot so 42 deg C or hotter.
As a small side note, if you have a tattoo the place might reject you as that is no bueno at most onsen’s.
Have fun and reach out again here and will try to answer your questions as I have been to many onsen’s across Japan.
Don’t shave or trim your private parts before going to the onsen otherwise you’re gonna get some stares