Onsen Manners: Soaking Up Hot Spring Etiquette in Japan

In Japan, bathing has long been more than a way to get clean. It is a ritual, a pause button in daily life and, in the case of the onsen, a direct connection to the volcanic heart of the islands.

From snowy valleys in Nagano to the coastlines of Shizuoka, communities have grown up around hot spring baths, turning mineral water into both medicine and leisure.

The etiquette is meticulous and the relaxation carefully regulated. Monkeys and capybaras may splash about with impunity but, for human bathers, it pays to study the protocols before easing into the water.

A Short, Steamy History: From Gods to Monkeys

Because Japan has so many volcanoes, it bubbles with volcanic hot springs - and with them, a treasury of myths and legends. Some of these tales center on Okuninushi-no-Mikoto and Sukunahikona-no-Mikoto, deified as gods of hot springs.

Take Dogo Onsen in Ehime prefecture, one of the three oldest hot springs in Japan. According to the Iyo no Kuni Fudoki (Records of the Culture and Geography of Iyo Province), Okuninushi piped the waters of Hayami no Yu (today’s Beppu Onsen in Oita prefecture) under the sea all the way to Dogo to cure the ailing Sukunahikona.

The connection with the sacred is not limited to Shintoism; in Buddhist tradition, monks are said to have uncovered healing waters through divine guidance.

One Japanese legend tells of the monk Gyoki, who was traveling through the Kaga region about 1,300 years ago when he encountered the Medicine Buddha. According to the story, the Buddha told him that there was a hot spring of just the right temperature to cure people’s illnesses, and that he should dig it up. Gyoki did so and uncovered what became Yamanaka Onsen, a bath still famous for its healing waters.

Samurai, too, took to the waters. The great warlord Takeda Shingen was famous for his network of kakushi-yu (hidden, or private, hot springs), where his warriors could recover from battles. Onsen areas Shibu and Tateshina were part of this network - if you visit, soak like a samurai and heal your desk warrior wounds.

Animals also knew a good thing when they splashed into it: historical texts mention birds and deer healing their injuries in hot spring water.

Today, Japanese macaques at Jigokudani Yaen-Koen in Nagano and capybaras at Izu Shaboten Zoo in Shizuoka continue this tradition with enthusiasm.

In the Edo period (1603–1868), onsen towns became hubs of leisure for the common people. Pamphlets ranked the best hot springs much as they did restaurants or sumo wrestlers - and people went onsen-hopping to soak, heal and compare mineral content.

In the modern era, lawmakers finally laid down the official definition of what constitutes an onsen, proving that hot springs are so important to the Japanese people that it requires parliamentary regulation.

What Exactly Is an Onsen? (No, Your Bathtub Doesn’t Count)

The Hot Springs Act, enacted on July 10, 1948, spells out what qualifies as an onsen. Article 2 defines it as 'hot water, mineral water, steam or other gases (excluding natural gas whose main component is hydrocarbons) that well up from the ground' - but that’s only the beginning.

To pass the test, the source water must either be 25°C (77°F) or hotter, or contain specific amounts of substances such as free carbon dioxide, sulfur, iron or even a whiff of radon.

These ingredients are part of what gives each spring its distinctive smell, color and, sometimes, its reputation for healing.

Types of Baths

Whether in Beppu, Kusatsu, Hakone or Hokkaido, hot spring baths have popped up across Japan like mushrooms after rain - each with its own mineral cocktail and local legends. Beyond the minerals, you also get variety in bathing facilities:

• Rotenburo, or rotemburo: Open-air baths with sea or mountain views, often paired with autumn foliage or falling snow for maximum Instagram envy.
• Sand baths: Put on a yukata and get buried in sand heated by hot springs water. At the Ibusuki Sunamushi Onsen, coastal sand is used - enjoy the sound of the waves while immobilized! - and a colorful beach umbrella is planted near your head so no one trods on it by mistake.
• Mud baths: Messy but your skin should glow like a glazed mochi afterward.
• Foot baths: Makes for a great break in a day of sight-seeing. Ashi-yu are also perfect for those not quite ready to get naked with strangers.
• Private baths: Either a bath in a hotel or ryokan that can be booked for private use or one that is located in your room. Recommended for the shy, travelers with children too young for the public bath and couples who want...quality couple time.

All this heat isn't just for bathing: the springs also double up as natural kitchens. The most famous edible by-product is onsen tamago: eggs slow-cooked in hot spring water until the whites are silky and the yolks creamy. In Japan, even eggs get the spa treatment.

Onsen Etiquette: Don't Make a Splash

Hot springs in Japan are not free-for-alls. Over the centuries, onsen rules have come into existence to keep the bathing area a shared space that is serene and, above all, clean.

Break them, and risk the embarrassment of seeing the locals flee from you as if Godzilla has stomped into the bath.

Before Entering the Onsen

Hot springs are best enjoyed on an empty stomach. Also refrain from drinking alcohol at least two hours before, and during, your time in the bath.

Mixing alcohol with a hot bath increases the risk of heart attacks, blood pressure complications, dizziness and accidents caused by unsteadiness and impaired judgment.

Drink plenty of water before and after your soak to rehydrate.

The Changing Area

Most baths are gender-segregated. Entering a bath meant for the opposite gender is a shock for everyone concerned so look out for the color-coded entrance curtains: blue for males and red, maroon or pink for women.

Remove your footwear and head to the area with lockers or baskets for bathers' belongings.

It's good to greet anyone you meet, even with only a nod and smile. A cheery 'konnichiwa' (hello) or 'kombanwa' (good evening) may elicit no response but the ice has been broken and communication may follow.

Undress completely. Bathing naked is not optional unless it's a mixed bath and the onsen facility offers you a swimsuit or towel to wear.

Place your belongings in a basket or locker. Fold your clothes neatly - they shouldn't hang out from the basket.

If you're spending the night at the onsen facility rather than bathing as a day visitor, you should have been provided with a bath towel and a hand towel. You can take the smaller towel to cover yourself but leave your large towel behind.

No matter how strongly you feel the need to document your time in a Japanese onsen, do not take your phone with you.

Pre-Onsen Purification

Sit on a stool in the shower area. Wash your body and hair thoroughly with soap and shampoo. Scrub like your life depends on it.

Rinse completely - soap suds are the mortal enemy of onsen water.

As a courtesy to the next user, rinse away any suds in your shower spot and return the stool and basin balanced on it to their original position.

Entering the Bath

Onsen aficionados recommend using a basin to pour the bath water over yourself before you sink in - this gets you used to the temperature.

Even if you find the water too hot, do not attempt to cool the bath by adding water from a tap. Other bathers like the bath just as it is.

Ease in slowly. For bonus etiquette points, enter at the end opposite the hot water outlet because that's where the water is cleanest and you're considered, well, not as clean.

If you have a towel with you, fold it and put it on your head - it should, under no circumstance, touch the water.

If you have long hair, tie it up before you get into the bath. Floating strands are not a gift to fellow bathers.

Keep your voice low and your conversation limited in the changing area as well as the bath itself. The onsen experience is about relaxation, not gossip.

Do not splash. This is not a pool. No matter how large the bath may be, do not swim.

How long you spend in the water depends on the temperature but the suggested length of time is 3-10 minutes or 15-20 minutes if you're used to onsen bathing.

Some hot springs have single-person baths. It's customary to limit your use to about 15 minutes.

If you're waiting your turn, it's polite to stand a little way off from the bathtub rather than right in front of it, even if you have a towel covering your private bits.

After Soaking

Rise and step out slowly to avoid dizziness.

Dry off with your small towel before re-entering the changing room so you don’t drip everywhere. Be sure to dry your feet too - you don't want to slip and fall.

It's always nice to acknowledge the presence of other people in the area when you leave. Even if you don't speak Japanese, a smile and a dip of the head will cross all linguistic barriers.

The heat has a dehydrating effect so drink plenty of water after your bath. Green tea may be provided for your après-soak but caffeine also dehydrates, so stick to water, sports drinks or that onsen classic, fruit milk.

When to Refrain from Visiting an Onsen

Those who should avoid bathing in an onsen include:

• People with heart disease or serious high blood pressure (the heat can put extra strain on circulation)
• Anyone with a history of cerebral hemorrhage or cardiopulmonary insufficiency
• People with infectious diseases or open wounds
• Those with active tuberculosis or other serious chronic illnesses
• Individuals who are extremely fatigued, have just eaten a large meal or have consumed alcohol.

The elderly, young children and those with mobility issues should avoid bathing alone.

Many onsen facilities quietly recommend that women refrain from bathing during menstruation, both for reasons of personal comfort and out of consideration for other bathers.

Pregnant women are often cautioned as well - not because the water is inherently unsafe but because the heat may cause dizziness or dehydration.

In short: if your doctor would advise you against climbing into a scalding tub at home, they’ll tell you to steer clear of an onsen too.

For everyone else, the rule of thumb is to pace yourself: hydrate before and after, enter the bath slowly and get out the moment you feel lightheaded.

Tattoos and Onsen Manners

Historically, tattoos are associated with the yakuza, leading many onsen facilities to ban tattooed bathers.

But times are changing: the 7 public hot spring baths in Kinosaki Onsen, for example, are tattoo-friendly. Other places allow people with tattoos if these are covered with waterproof patches.

That said, always check the onsen facility’s rules before visiting. Walking in with a dragon sleeve and a smile might get you politely asked to leave.

Cross-Species Soaks: Animals That Go To Onsen

Jigokudani Yaen-Koen: The Snow Monkeys of Nagano

The famous snow monkeys of Nagano owe their spa lifestyle to railway employee Hara Sogo, who first spotted the original troop while hiking in Jigokudani in 1957.

At the time, ski resort development in the monkeys' habitat drove them down into villages, where they raided crops, triggering a backlash from farmers who began hunting them down.

Hara, determined to protect the monkeys, worked with the nearby Korakukan inn to lure them back into the valley by leaving out food.

How the macaques took to bathing is still debated: some say they imitated humans soaking at the inn’s outdoor onsen. Another theory says that a monkey fell in while fishing for apples and discovered that the water was delightful.

Either way, it was a case of monkey see, monkey do: once one monkey bathed, the rest followed. To protect both monkeys and humans, Hara helped to establish Jigokudani Yaen-Koen, a wildlife park with hot spring baths just for the animals.

Today, the sight of snow-dusted macaques soaking in a steamy bath has become one of Japan’s most iconic winter images.

Izu Shaboten Zoo: Capybaras in Shizuoka Prefecture

If monkeys aren’t cute enough, how about the world’s largest rodents?

Izu Shaboten Zoo in Shizuoka prefecture began breeding capybaras back in 1966, when the species was still a rarity in Japan.

The now-famous capybara onsen came about by accident in the winter of 1982, when a zookeeper was cleaning the capybaras' enclosure with hot water - and noticed them warming their feet and rumps in the puddles.

The result? The capybaras got their own outdoor baths. From November to April, they soak together like retirees at a famous hot spring resort, often with floating yuzu fruit for extra seasonal flair.

Watching them is oddly therapeutic perhaps because, unlike humans, capybaras have no hang-ups about bathing naked, no towels to fold and absolutely no tattoo restrictions.

The Ryokan Experience: Where Bath Meets Bed

When it comes to visiting a Japanese hot spring, many travelers stay at a ryokan for the ultimate onsen experience.

At traditional Japanese inns, the bath is paired with tatami-mat rooms, kaiseki multi-course dinners and a yukata robe to shuffle around in.

Some ryokan offer private onsen, ideal for couples, families with small children or tattooed visitors who want to avoid awkward negotiations.

Ranging from luxury hideaways to rustic inns, ryokan let you bathe, dine and sleep in a loop until the line between cultural and water immersion blurs completely.

Why Onsens Still Bubble Up in Japanese Culture

Whether you’re steaming in Kusatsu, easing into a rotemburo in Izu or watching capybaras bliss out in a pool, the onsen reminds us that, in Japan, a hot bath is not an escape from daily life but part of it.

So step in slowly, follow the protocols and let the water work its magic as it has done for centuries. Even if Shinto gods and wandering Buddhas had nothing to do with your bath, the experience is still divine.

Written by Janice Tay