What is the proper etiquette at Japanese onsen?

What is the proper etiquette at Japanese onsen? - Free stock photo of achievement, antique, business

Japan is a volcanically active country which means it has a plethora of onsen (hot springs) all around the country. Visiting these onsen is supposed to be a popular vacation destination for the work-weary Japanese.

I've been told that, as with other things in Japan, there is a rather strict etiquette surrounding the use of the onsen. In particular, the two things I've read about so far are

  • Swimming Suits are not allowed.
  • It is very important that one bathe immediately before entering the onsen.

Are these true? Are there any other taboos that a naive American should be aware of?



Best Answer

In addition to codinghands's great answer I would like to add a few pointers:

  1. Make sure the onsen provides a large and small towel for visitors or bring your own
  2. While you can't wear any clothing in the bath, you can cover up with a small towel
  3. When in Rome, do as the Romans

Towels

Depending on the onsen, towels (a smaller washcloth, and a larger towel for drying off) may be provided free, provided for a fee, or not provided at all.

If you are unsure which category the one you will visit falls under, bring a small towel (a washcloth essentially, something around 20 x 20 cm), and a large bath towel to dry off with afterwards. Some onsen may also not provide soap and shampoo, and so you may want to bring those along as well.

Covering Up

As explained by codinghands, onsen rarely allow swimsuits or any other sort of clothing. Onsen are regularly featured on TV with people wearing large white towels when they go in, but in almost every case there is a disclaimer saying, "They are allowed to wear towels due to special permission from the onsen" and this is not something you should copy.

While you can take precautions to cover up (as explained below), the reality is that people are going to see you unclothed and no amount of trying to prevent that from happening is going to make it work. You are taking a bath with people, and this means that they will see you without clothes on. If this makes you too uncomfortable, then don't go to a hot spring.

Many people (Japanese included) use the smaller washcloth-sized towel to cover up when walking around by holding it in front of whichever parts they would like to cover up. In the case that you use the washcloth after having washed (with soap) with it, be sure to rinse it out thoroughly as you want to avoid getting soap in the actual bath.

When in Rome

codinghands created a nice handy guide on how things (usually) work. But there are quite a few steps, and there are always going to be variations depending on where you go and who's there. Do at least as much as the other people are doing and you should be fine, though feel free to do more. The basic concepts are:

  1. Be clean so you don't get the bath dirty
  2. Don't get anything but yourself in the bath (no soap, towels, etc.)

That said, there's a chance you'll see people come in, shower with water (without soap or shampoo first), and hop in the bath. If everyone else is doing that, feel free to do the same (you can soap up and shampoo first if you'd like, of course). But if everyone is soaping and shampooing thoroughly, follow their cue. In the same way, you will see people hop in the bath with their towel covering themselves. If everyone is doing this, feel free, but if nobody is then make sure the towel doesn't go in the water.




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Do you have to be naked in a Japanese onsen?

2: You Must be Completely Naked. There is no way around this one. In Japan, clothing, towels, and any other garment that may be worn are considered sullied or \u201cdirty\u201d and should never, ever be brought into an onsen. Nudity is thus expressly required, but really, it's no big deal.

Do you wear towels in onsen?

Some bathers casually hold their small towel in front of their crotch area for modesty purposes. Feel free to do this if you are shy but do note that there will be some who just show it all. Whatever you do, just remember that cloth should NEVER enter the onsen bath itself.

What should I do before onsen?

How to Take Onsen Bath: The Right Way
  • Before entering the onsen pool, washing your body squeaky clean is the foremost step to take. ...
  • Practice the art of \u201cKake-yu\u201d by dousing yourself with warm water to get your body used to the hot spring's temperature before entering it.


  • Why are clothes not allowed in onsen?

    No Clothes AllowedPeople try hard to preserve the cleanliness of onsen. They are somewhat sacred places. Clothes and bathing suits can bring dirt and soap into the hot spring waters from outside and are, therefore, considered unhygienic.



    Japanese Onsen Etiquette Explained | All rules




    More answers regarding what is the proper etiquette at Japanese onsen?

    Answer 2

    A few years ago I wrote up a comprehensive guide on going to and getting in onsens for my local website (I love onsens, and have lived in Japan for 8 years). The above answer is correct, however if you'd like more details as well as a start-to-finish getting-in-the-onsen guide, feel free to check out the "Onsen Experience" section at the following link. Onsen - The Mie Guidebook

    Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

    Images: Feng Zou, Jaysee Chan, Miguel Á. Padriñán, Aleksandar Pasaric