All 6 onsen in Kyoto: tattoo rules, bath by bath
Public baths and day-use spas you can visit without staying overnight.
6 hot springs
Kyoto · Kyoto
Fushimi Chikara no Yu (Kyoto)
A large public bath in Fushimi, Kyoto, with an open-air bath of natural hot spring water trucked in from Joyo Onsen. Its current official price page says guests with tattoos (including fake tattoos) are firmly refused. A 2021 notice on the same site announced a trial allowing tattoos covered by one 13 x 19 cm sticker, but the current rules do not mention it.
Photo: YOSHIFUMI OGISO / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Kyoto · Kyoto
Kurama Onsen
A hot spring in the mountains of Kurama, north of central Kyoto, with a free shuttle bus from Kurama Station.
Kyoto · Kyoto
Kyoto Takenosato Onsen Manyo no Yu
A 24-hour bathing complex in Nishikyo, Kyoto.
Kyoto · Kyoto
Sagano Onsen Tenzan no Yu (Kyoto)
A natural hot spring spa in Sagano, western Kyoto, with water from 1,200 m underground, an open-air bath and a foot bath. Its official FAQ says guests with tattoos cannot bathe even if the tattoo is covered.
Kyoto · Kyotanabe
SPA & HOTEL Suisyun Matsuiyamate
A spa hotel open to day visitors, about 8 min on foot from JR Matsuiyamate Station, with a big open-air area: hot-spring rock bath, source pot bath and sleeping bath. Its official price page says that, on the guidance of the authorities, guests with tattoos (including tattoo stickers) are refused entry.
Kyoto · Uji
Uji Natural Hot Spring Genji no Yu
A large day spa in Uji, Kyoto, with the only natural hot spring in the city, drawn from 1,111 m underground into an open-air bath. Its official site says guests with tattoos (including stickers and paint) cannot enter.
