Don't: wear ANY clothes or swimsuits in the bathing area; the small towel can be used to cover yourself when out of the water. Some onsen may offer a thin gauze bathing cover-up for women to rent. submerge your face or head, it is considered unclean.
You're not allowed to wear any clothing in an onsen—no swimwear, underwear, or towels should touch the water; just your clean, naked body.
Don't wear your clothes into the onsen
Although it's natural to feel shy if it's your first time visiting a public onsen, under no circumstances should you soak in the hot springs while clothed. If it helps, everyone else will also be in their birthday suits, so you will fit right in.
While there's usually no specific rule in place for swimwear, almost all swimming pool attendees in Japan will wear conservative swimwear. Bikinis are almost-never worn, with most women instead opting for a one piece swimsuit combined with swim shorts.
Although swimsuits are allowed in a select few onsen, this is very rare. In most onsen, you take off all your clothes in the dressing room. Clothing and garments that are worn outside are considered sullied and should never be brought into an onsen. Nudity is a must for taking an onsen.
The Japanese have perfected the art of onsen, or hot spring baths, for centuries. Traditionally, men and women would bathe together in the same facility, but these days the baths are segregated by gender. Today, konyoku (mixed-gender onsen) are hard to find, with places like Tokyo having bans on such establishments.
The shortest answer to this, based on research on medical publications and articles in Japanese, doctors would in general not encourage you to go into an onsen while on your period. The most common reasons are that: It's unsanitary and disrespectful toward other people.
In general, it is acceptable for men to shave in the shower area of the onsen, and razors are even provided. For women, it is not generally acceptable to shave in the onsen as this is seen as an activity that should be done privately. Japan is still a bit behind the times in gender equality.
Firstly, don't stay in the onsen for too long - generally speaking 30-40 minutes total is enough time to reap the benefits of the mineral rich water and not overdo it. Take breaks when you need to by resting on the edge out of the heat of the water and if the onsen is especially hot, don't push yourself.
Avoid bathing in an onsen in the following cases. If you have chronic bronchitis and fever or difficulty in breathing. If you have stable angina and chest pain becomes frequent. Bathing may cause serious problems with dehydration or thrombosis.
This is a snapshot of things to remember not to do in the onsen bath: Don't put your small towel or hair in the onsen bath water. Don't use your phone or camera in public onsen.
Massage with Onsen
It is essential that the hot springs are kept clean, so all guests need to shower thoroughly before entering. Since many massages involve oils, it is best to get your massage treatment later so that none of the massage oils will get in the onsen.
Onsen etiquette
Take a shower to cleanse yourself before bathing. Most onsens provide soap and shampoo for you to use. If not, you have to buy some. It's best not to eat before bathing in the onsen, but you need to drink a lot of water before and after your onsen bath.
You can bring your own bath towel, though some onsens provide towels or let you rent one.
It is recommended that you do not shower after bathing in an onsen, as rinsing your body will weaken the minerals' healing effects.
Doctors do not recommend using onsen at all while menstruating. But, if you absolutely cannot avoid it, use a tampon. Even if it's a “light” day, nobody wants blood or bodily fluids floating around in the shared bath water. Using a tampon will also help protect against water entering through your cervical opening.
People Who Are Bleeding Or Women On Their Periods
It's good manners to avoid using onsens during menstruation, particularly on heavy flow days, even when using a tampon. Onsens, like pools in Japan, do not use powerful disinfectants, so it's not very sanitary for anyone involved.
This prejudice is most clear in public bathing facilities, where tattoos are generally still forbidden, although there is no official ban on them. Even foreign tourists, who are clearly not involved in Japanese organized crime, can be turned away for their tattoos.
As a daytripper or overnight guest, you can rent a private onsen room. Some of their rooms have beds, which is perfect for those who want to sleep on one.
Although onsen etiquette does not prohibit drinking alcohol before entering a hot spring, let alone during the experience, it can be hazardous; consuming spirits before entering a hot spring—let alone during the experience—increases the risk of thrombosis.
In Japanese culture, to enter public hot spring means you have to be ready completely nude in front of a stranger. In Islamic tradition, there is a limitation (Aurah) that need to be covered even in front of the same gender. Worry no more, in Japan, actually, there are many private Onsen that you can visit.
That's because sento baths, though they may be luxurious, are generally filled with heated tap water, while an onsen is a natural hot spring. Most onsen use modern plumbing of one sort or another to get the water into the baths, which means that once you're inside, sento and onsen can look exactly alike.
Shower before you bathe.
Even when bathing in the privacy of their own home, the Japanese always clean themselves under the shower before having a soak in the bath – and this is even more important when you're visiting a communal sento or onsen – to keep the water as clean as possible.
Typically it is not permitted to take photos while inside an onsen, unless you are visiting a private onsen. Be sure to check out our Niseko and Hakuba onsen guides for a list of our top 10 in each area!