About Onsen Guide Japan
Who runs this guide, how every tattoo policy is checked, how to report a change, and how the site is funded.
Who runs this guide
Onsen Guide Japan is an independent guide run by one person in Japan, Shunpei Yoshida. It is not affiliated with any of the hot springs, towns or tourism associations it lists.
Why it exists
“Can I go in with tattoos?” is one of the most common questions visitors ask about Japanese hot springs, and the usual answer online is a roundup list. Those lists go out of date, and some of them were never checked against the bath’s own rules. This guide only records what the bath itself — or its city, or its official tourism association — says.
How each policy is checked
- Official sources only. Each entry links to the page, notice or statement the policy comes from.
- Who said it is shown separately from what was said. If the only information is a third-party site, the entry is marked that way and is never shown as official.
- Nothing is filled in by guesswork. Where a bath publishes no hours or prices, the field stays empty.
- Every entry shows the date it was last checked. Rules change; please confirm with the bath on the day you go.
Report a change
If a rule has changed, a bath let you in or turned you away, or something on this site is wrong, please tell us. Corrections are checked against the bath’s own information before they are published.
How the site is funded
The site is free to use. In the future, some pages may include links to hotel booking sites (affiliate links). If you book through one of those links, the site may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Pages with such links will say so clearly.
Whether a bath allows tattoos is never affected by advertising or affiliate links. A bath that pays nothing is listed in exactly the same way, and a bath that turns tattoos away is listed as “not allowed” regardless of any link.
As of the date above, the site has no affiliate links and no advertising.