In Japan, people have congregated at onsens (geothermal hot springs) for centuries. And when I say centuries, the first onsen was recorded in the 1st century! 

These small pools of geothermal water were believed to have mystical and holy properties due to the healing power of the minerals in the water. Plus, back in the day lighting a fire to heat a bath was a bit of a pain point, so of course naturally-occuring hot water was highly valued. 

Besides being therapeutic, onsens also gave Japanese men and women an excuse to gossip with their friends. Bathing was (and is!) a social affair in Japan – you’d meet up with your friends from the village to bathe together and catch up on all the latest news.

Today, not all onsens you’ll find are of the naturally-occuring variety, but the traditions around public bathing remain the same.

These traditions and rules are strict, so it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with them before your trip to an onsen. Below you can read up on what to expect + some do’s and don’ts of visiting an onsen in Japan.

 

What to expect when you visit a Japanese onsen for the first time

Onsens are separated by gender. Make sure you know which Japanese symbol signifies women and which one means men.  Don’t worry too much though, there’s usually a sign in English or you can just follow someone in!

Once inside, you’ll find a changing room with lockers, cubicles, or baskets for your clothes, and then some sinks and mirrors for getting ready after your bath. 

 

Onsen rule #1: Get naked!

That’s right, absolutely no clothes allowed in the actual bathing room. 

While it may sound awkward and uncomfortable, you’ll get used to it quickly because everyone around you, young and old, will be in the buff as well. 

Important note: Leave your large bath towel here for drying off later. Only bring the small washcloth into the bathing room with you.

As soon as you’re down to your birthday suit, walk through a second door into the bathing room. 

Once inside, you’ll see a big open room with a large hot-tub like bath (this is the onsen!) and then some mirrors with stools and various shampoos and body washes. 

Sit on one of these tiny, little wooden stools and rinse and soap yourself up. Every onsen I visited provided shampoo, conditioner, and body wash for you to use. 

Then, you can use the shower head to rinse off if there is one or opt for the traditional route of filling the small wooden bucket at your spot up with water and pouring it over yourself to rinse off. 

 

Onsen rule #2: Give your body a good scrub and wash down

It’s considered incredibly disgusting and rude to go into the onsen without washing first. In fact, if you don’t wash off first, you may actually get kicked out.

Once you’ve washed, it’s polite to rinse off your wooden stool for the next person.

Then, hop into the giant hot tub or pool-looking tub and sit on the floor, legs crossed or outstretched, and begin to soak in the very hot water.

This is where your small face towel/washcloth comes in handy.

You’ll probably sweat as you sit in the onsen, so you can use this small towel to wipe off your face while sitting in the hot spring. 

 

Onsen rule #3: Don’t let your face towel touch the water! 

It’s considered unclean to put your towel into the onsen, so don’t do what I saw another foreigner doing, which was dipping it into the water and wringing it out over her head. She got some nasty looks from the old Japanese ladies in the onsen with us.

Either leave it sitting along the side of the hot spring, or more traditionally, fold it up and place it on top of your head (you’ll see many Japanese women and men doing this).

Onsens are usually about 2 feet deep, so you can sit on the floor with your head above the water.

 

Onsen rule #4: Never, ever put your head or hair in the water

If you have long hair, tie it up. It’s seen as unsanitary to put your head under or your hair into the onsen waters. 

When you are finished soaking and relaxing in the hot spring, head back to the washing area to rinse off. Or, go for a real shock and submerge your body in the ice cold tub (usually near the washing area). Some people also simply dry off and leave without rinsing, to let the minerals sit on their skin – it’s entirely up to you.

 

Onsen rule #5: Dry off afterward

Whether you rinse off after the hot spring or not, always remember to dry off before going back to the changing area. 

Use your small face towel to get as much water off of you as possible to avoid dripping everywhere. 

 

A recap of the onsen rules:

DO

  • Go into the onsen in your birthday suit! That’s right, absolutely no clothes allowed (not even a big towel to wrap around yourself). While it sounds weird and uncomfortable, you’ll quickly get used to it.
  • Wash off thoroughly with water and soap before getting into the hot spring waters. 
  • Dry off before leaving the onsen.
  • Enjoy a soak in the relaxing hot spring for as long as you want! 

 

DON’T

  • Put your head or hair into the water.
  • Let your face towel touch the water. If it does, ring it out on the outside of the onsen.
  • Stare or gawk at anyone.
  • Ever, EVER wash off in the onsen with soap and water. Always wash before!

 

One final important note on onsens

Many public onsens don’t allow tattoos. The reason? The Japanese mafia. These organized criminals (called the yakuza) tend to be covered in tattoos, and as a result public onsens as a rule don’t allow anyone with large-scale tattoos into their facilities. 

If you do have large tattoos that can’t be covered by a waterproof bandage, look for private onsens that you can rent out. Normally, the no-tattoos rule doesn’t apply if you have the entire place to yourself. 

After a long day of exploring, nothing tops soaking in a hot onsen to relieve sore muscles and stress.

The best onsens we found were at the Mustard Hotel (which is actually a hostel) in Asakusa, Tokyo, and the outdoor onsen (AMAZING) at Dormy Inn in Himeji.