Every facility tattoo policy in this guide was checked on the facility's own website on 2026-08-25, so check official information before visiting.
The national guidance behind the rules
The Japan Tourism Agency's current ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) guidance notes that how facilities respond to travelers with tattoos varies greatly from one establishment to another. Japan's Public Bath Houses Act does not mention tattoos anywhere in its text, and the statute's refusal provision instead refers to contagious disease. A 2016 written answer from the Japanese government stated that whether to accept bathers with tattoos is ultimately left to the judgment of each hot-spring facility's management. A 2015 Japan Tourism Agency study reported that about 30 percent of hotels and inns in Japan would allow a guest with a tattoo to use their communal baths. In March 2016 the Japan Tourism Agency circulated guidance to bathing and lodging industry groups on receiving foreign visitors with tattoos, with points to note and example approaches, so that bathing refusals do not arise for unfair reasons. The Japan National Tourism Organization advises travelers with tattoos to email a bathing facility directly and ask what its rules are before going.
Facilities that admit visitors with tattoos
Yamato no Yu is a hot-spring bathhouse in Narita, Chiba, and its published guest questions state that visitors with tattoos, including fashion tattoos, may use the baths. The bathhouse stands at 1630 Otake in Narita City, Chiba Prefecture. Adult admission there is 1,000 yen on weekdays and 1,100 yen on weekends and holidays. It is open from 10:00 in the morning to 22:00 at night, with no regular closing days.
Kamata Onsen is a neighborhood public bathhouse (sento) in Tokyo, and its website states that tattoos are no problem at all for bathing.
Hakone Yuryo is a large day-spa in Hakone, and it lifted its tattoo-based bathing restrictions on April 1, 2025. Konohana no Yu in Gotemba announced that it would lift its tattoo-based bathing restrictions from April 1, 2025.
Facilities that admit tattoos under a cover seal
Buko Onsen in Yokoze, in the Chichibu area of Saitama, admits guests whose tattoos or body art can be fully covered by the facility's designated cover seal. The designated cover seal there costs 220 yen including tax. That seal measures 11 by 20 centimeters, with one seal per person purchased at entry. Adult admission at Buko Onsen is 700 yen on weekdays and 900 yen on weekends and holidays. Its baths run from 10:00 to 21:00 with last entry at 20:30, and it stays open year-round.
At Sayano Yudokoro in Itabashi, Tokyo, guests may enter the baths when a tattoo can be fully covered by the bathhouse's designated cover seals. Those designated cover seals measure 11 by 20 centimeters each, and up to two seals may be used. Each seal costs 310 yen.
Tokyo Toyosu Manyo Club admits tattooed guests when the tattoo fits under its designated cover seals. Guests who enter without declaring a tattoo are asked to leave immediately. Its designated cover seals measure no more than 11 by 20 centimeters, and up to two seals may be used.
Sora no Yu is a hot-spring complex beside Narita Airport in Shibayama, and it continues to admit guests with small tattoos that can be hidden within a palm-sized area. It asks guests with larger tattoos to book its second-floor private baths instead.
Facilities that do not admit tattoos
Keio Takaosan Onsen Gokurakuyu near Mount Takao does not admit guests with tattoos of any size or type, including fashion tattoos and seal tattoos.
Enoshima Island Spa states that guests with tattoos of any type, including one-point, seal, and henna tattoos, cannot use its bathing areas.
Goriyaku no Yu in the Yoro Valley area of Chiba firmly declines entry to guests with tattoos, including seal and painted types. Adult admission at Goriyaku no Yu is 1,200 yen. Its hours run from 10:00 to 18:00, and the bathhouse closes on Wednesdays.
Matsuri no Yu is a hot-spring complex in Chichibu, and it does not admit guests with tattoos, including seal and painted types. Matsuri no Yu stands directly in front of Seibu Chichibu Station.
Kabe Onsen Ume no Yu, on the way toward Okutama, asks guests with tattoos, including seal tattoos, to refrain from bathing. Ume no Yu stands right at Kabe Station, a gateway toward the Okutama area. It is open from 10:00 to 23:30.
Mangan no Yu in Minano, near Nagatoro in Saitama, asks guests with tattoos, including seal tattoos, to refrain from bathing. Adult admission at Mangan no Yu is 980 yen on weekdays and 1,200 yen on weekends and holidays. It is open from 10:00 in the morning to 21:00 at night, with last entry at 20:30.
Facilities that have not published a tattoo policy
Tsurutsuru Onsen in Hinode, west of central Tokyo, does not state any tattoo policy on its website, so confirm with the facility before you go.
Moegi no Yu near Okutama does not state any tattoo policy on its website, so ask the bathhouse directly before visiting. Moegi no Yu stands ten minutes on foot from Okutama Station.
Inamuragasaki Onsen in Kamakura does not state a tattoo policy on its website, so check with the facility before visiting. Inamuragasaki Onsen is open from 9:00 to 21:00, with last reception at 20:00. It stands three minutes on foot from Inamuragasaki Station on the Enoden railway.
Tsukubasan Edoya is a ryokan at Mount Tsukuba that accepts day visitors for bathing, and it does not state a tattoo policy on its website, so contact the inn before visiting. Day-use bathing at Tsukubasan Edoya starts at 11:30. Day-use bathing there costs 1,540 yen for adults.
Kameyama Onsen Hotel by Lake Kameyama in Chiba does not state a tattoo policy on its day-trip page, so ask before visiting. Kameyama Onsen Hotel accepts day bathers from 11:30 to 18:00.