♨ Bath & Onsen
Onsen etiquette: the rules for a Japanese hot spring
Wash before you get in, keep the towel out of the water, and the phrase to say on your way out.
Avoid these
Towel in the water
Keep the small towel out of the bath. Fold it on your head, or rest it on the stone edge.
Getting in unwashed
The big one. Everyone shares this water, so wash & rinse your whole body first — sit down while you do it.
Talking loudly
An onsen is closer to a library than a pool. Low voices, slow movements.
Do exactly this
Clothes in a basket
Leave everything in a basket. Go in with just the small towel.
Wash & rinse
Sit at a shower stool and wash your whole body, then rinse off all the soap before getting in.
Slip in slowly
Ease in quietly. Towel stays out — on your head or the edge. Relax.
The phrase locals love
いいお湯でした
ii yu deshita!
“That was a really good bath.” It's what locals say to each other. Say it, and you're a regular — not a tourist.
📍 as you pass someone leaving