Tattoos and onsen in Japan
Most public baths in Japan don't admit tattoos — but there are ways in.
Where we are right now
We are contacting onsen now. What we confirmed with the onsen is marked differently from what their official sites state. These numbers are generated from the live data, not written by hand.
Why you get turned away
Tattoos were long associated with organized crime in Japan, and many baths still ban them outright rather than judge case by case. The rule applies to Japanese guests in the same way — it isn't aimed at foreign visitors.
Three ways around it
Pick one of three: book a private bath, cover the tattoo with a patch, or go to an onsen that has lifted the restriction. onsen pass shows a tattoo policy only where the onsen states one on its site or tells us when we ask; otherwise, we write “unconfirmed”. A blank is not a yes — it means we don't know yet.
