Japan guide

Stays & baths

Onsen & public baths

Hot springs (onsen) and neighbourhood bathhouses (sento) are shared, so the rules are all about keeping the water clean. You bathe naked, separated by gender.

14 steps · 7 common mistakes· Show in Japanese (1)
Inside a neighbourhood public bath (sento): a large painting of Mt Fuji on the wall above the baths, with the tiled washing area in front.

Photo: ウィキ太郎(WikiTaro) / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Onsen, sento and private baths

An outdoor hot-spring bath (rotenburo) beside a river in autumn, with a wooden water spout and a paper lantern.Photo: RickardA / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
  • Onsen: natural hot-spring water, at ryokan or day-trip baths (higaeri onsen).
  • Sento: a neighbourhood bathhouse with heated water — cheap and very local.
  • Rotenburo: an outdoor bath. The same rules apply as inside.
  • Kashikiri-buro: a private bath you book for yourself or your group.

Common mistakes

  • Staying in very hot water for a long time — get out and cool down if you feel dizzy.

Arriving

At the entrance to the baths, a visitor holding a shoe-locker key looks at two curtains: blue with 男 (men) and red with 女 (women); shoe lockers stand by the door.

Step by step

  1. Put your shoes in a locker at the entrance.

  2. Pay at the counter or ticket machine. Sento prices are fixed by each prefecture and shown on a board at the counter (Tokyo ward sites list 600 yen for adults from August 2026); onsen prices vary.

  3. Find your side: 男 is men, 女 is women. The curtains are often blue for men and red for women.

  4. Bring or rent a small towel and a larger one for drying.

Common mistakes

  • Walking through the wrong curtain — check the kanji, not just the colour.

Wash before you get in

In a bathhouse, a person washes sitting on a stool at a shower first; then another person soaks in the bath with a small towel folded on their head.

Step by step

  1. Undress fully in the changing room and put your things in a locker or basket.

  2. At the washing area, sit on a stool in front of a shower.

  3. Wash your whole body and hair with soap, then rinse off every bit of foam.

  4. Rinse the stool and leave the space clean for the next person.

Common mistakes

  • Getting into the bath before washing.
  • Standing up to shower and splashing the people sitting next to you.

In the bath

In the bath, a person with their hair tied up keeps a small towel folded on their head; a towel left in the water is crossed out.

Step by step

  1. Tie up long hair so it doesn't touch the water.

  2. Before getting in, scoop some bath water over your body (kakeyu) to get used to the heat.

  3. Get in slowly. Keep your small towel out of the water — on your head or the edge.

  4. Keep your voice down. No swimming, diving or photos.

Common mistakes

  • Wearing a swimsuit.
  • Dipping your towel in the water or wringing it out over the bath.

Afterwards

Before going back to the changing room and its lockers, a person dries off with a small towel (1); a bottle of water stands ready on a bench (2).

Step by step

  1. Wipe yourself with the small towel before going back into the changing room.

  2. Drink water — hot baths dry you out.

Common mistakes

  • Bathing after drinking alcohol.

Good to know: At many ryokan the men's and women's baths swap sides at set times, so check the curtain each time you go.

On HAKOBUNE Spot

Bathhouses, day-trip onsen and saunas that welcome first-timers.

See all places

Sources

Sources (checked 2026-11-05). Facts, numbers and prices on this page come from these official pages.

  1. Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)Japanese Customs and Etiquette (Responsible Travel Guide)(opens in a new tab)JNTO: Japanese customs and etiquette for responsible travel
  2. Local government公衆浴場の入浴料金（文京区）Japanese(opens in a new tab)Bunkyo City (Tokyo): public bathhouse prices
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