Onsen · Sento · Sauna · Gym · Pool
Tattoo-friendly Japan.
Baths, saunas, gyms and pools that welcome tattoos. Each rule quoted from the venue's own website and dated, so you know before you go, not at the door.
Three ways in
Every place gets one clear badge, with the details underneath. Pick the one that fits you.
- Ink OK
Soak as you are
Tattoos welcome as they are. No cover, no conditions.
- Cover OK
A patch does it
Welcome once covered. Check the size limit.
- Private
A bath of your own
Book a private bath and the shared-bath rules never apply.
NoTattoos not allowed. Listed so you know before you go.
Where to go
Six places travellers ask about most. Pick one to see every bath, sauna, gym and pool we've found there.
Photo: Tokyo Sento Association (東京都浴場組合) 東京Tokyo
372 places →
Photo: Kyoto Sento Association (京都府浴場組合) 京都Kyoto
36 places →
Photo: Osaka Sento Association (大阪府浴場組合) 大阪Osaka
86 places →
Photo: Abasaa, Public domain 箱根Hakone
12 places →
Photo: Beppu City (別府市) 別府Beppu
91 places →
Photo: Visit Kinosaki (Kinosaki Onsen Tourism Association) 城崎Kinosaki
7 places →
Not just onsen
Living or training in Japan with tattoos means more than hot springs. We map these too.
Start here
Can you go to an onsen in Japan with tattoos?
Often, yes. Why many Japanese baths still refuse tattoos, how common that is, the four ways tattooed travellers get in, and what to do if you're turned away.
Read the guide →Tattoo cover patches for onsen, sento and pools
When a cover patch gets you in, the kinds that work, where to buy them in Japan, and how to put them on so they survive hot water.
Read the guide →How to use an onsen or sento, in 10 steps
A calm first visit to a Japanese hot spring or public bathhouse, from the shoe lockers to the coffee milk, with the parts that matter if you have tattoos.
Read the guide →Gyms and pools in Japan with tattoos
What the big gym chains and public pools actually say about tattoos, and how to train or swim in Japan without being turned away.
Read the guide →
How a place gets listed
- Step 1
We read the venue's own rules
On its official website, or the operator's or local government's page. Review sites and other directories don't count.
- Step 2
We quote them and date them
Which baths, whether covers are allowed, the largest size, the source link and the date we checked.
- Step 3
We confirm and re-check
Places that confirm by phone or email get a confirmed mark. We re-check when travellers report a change.
Turned away, or welcomed?
Rules change. If a place on Sumiyu let you in, turned you away, or has new rules, tell us and we'll check it again.