How to choose a tattoo-friendly ryokan or hotel in Japan
Dogo Onsen Honkan — Photo: z tanuki / CC BY 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Every ryokan sets its own rule for the shared bath. What to look for and what to ask before you book — in-room baths, private baths and the shared bath, step by step.
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For day-use baths, the answer is simple: choose one where the bath itself says tattoos are fine (Onsen where the bath itself says tattoos are OK).
Places to stay are harder. Even the Japan Tourism Agency’s Q&A for ryokan says that responses to tattoos differ greatly from ryokan to ryokan. Many do not publish a rule at all, and some guests only find out at the door of the shared bath.
This page sets out what to look for, and what to ask, before you book.
Key points
- Tattoo rules vary widely from one ryokan to the next, and many never publish them.
- The surest option is a room with its own bath; next best is a ryokan with a private bath you can book.
- Ask when you book, say how big the tattoo is, and get the answer in writing.
Three ways to make it work
1. Book a room with its own bath (the surest way)
A room with a private open-air bath (客室露天風呂), or an in-room bath with hot-spring water, takes the shared-bath rule out of the picture. It costs more, but the size of your tattoo no longer matters.
2. Choose a ryokan with a private bath you can book
A private bath (貸切風呂 / 家族風呂, kashikiri or kazoku-buro) is booked for a set time. No other guests are in it, so some ryokan that refuse tattoos in the shared bath will still let you use it.
But “has a private bath” is not the same as “lets you use it with tattoos”. Ask when you book. Day-use baths that officially allow tattoos in a private bath are listed in Private onsen for tattoos.
3. Check the shared-bath rule on the official site
If you want the shared bath, look for a tattoo rule in the ryokan’s own FAQ or facility guide.
Rules come in different shapes. Hoshino Resorts Tomamu, for example, tells guests on its official site to cover tattoos with cover stickers (sold at the front desk) when using its open-air bath, Kirin-no-Yu. Whether your tattoo is small enough to cover is what decides it (see Tattoo cover stickers at Japanese onsen).
If the official site says nothing, treat the rule as unknown, not as “no rule”.
What to ask when you book
By phone, email or a booking site’s message form:
| What you want to know | Ask (English) | Ask (Japanese) |
|---|---|---|
| Can I use the shared bath? | I have a tattoo. Can I use the large bath? | タトゥーがあるのですが、大浴場は利用できますか？ |
| Is covering enough? | Can I bathe if I cover it with a sticker? It is about this big. | シールで隠せば入れますか？大きさはこのくらいです。 |
| Private bath | Can I use the private bath with a tattoo? Do I need to book it? | タトゥーがあっても貸切風呂は使えますか？予約は必要ですか？ |
| In-room bath | Does the room have its own hot-spring bath? | 客室に温泉（露天風呂）はついていますか？ |
Get the answer in writing (an email or a message on the booking site) so there is no misunderstanding on the day.
When you arrive
- Mention it at the front desk before you go to the shared bath.
- Where covering is allowed, you may be asked to keep the tattoo covered throughout the building, not only in the water.
- Rules change. Check the official site again before you travel.
Read next
- Tattoos and hot springs in Japan — why some baths refuse, and what the law says
- Private onsen for tattoos — day-use baths that officially allow tattoos in a private bath
- Onsen where the bath itself says tattoos are OK