NorthWest Wa♨ The Japanese Bath
In Japan, a bath isn't for getting clean — you wash before you get in. The tub is for soaking, warming up and letting the day go. It's one of the most harmonious things I brought home from 13 years there.
The ofuro: the bath at home お風呂
A Japanese home bath is a deep tub, often in a separate wet room with a shower and a small stool. Families traditionally share the same hot water, one after another, so everyone washes first and the water stays clean. A lid keeps it hot between soakers.
The order of a soak
- Rinse off with a scoop of warm water (kakeyu) to warm up and get the dust off.
- Wash fully outside the tub, seated on a stool: hair, face, body. Rinse off every bit of soap.
- Soak in water around 40–42°C for about 10–15 minutes. Shoulders under, breathe slowly, no soap or shampoo in the tub.
- Rest — step out, cool down, sip water, and go back in if you like.
- Finish with a quick rinse (optional), dry off, and cover the tub for the next person.
Doing it in a Canadian home, cheaply
You don't need a cedar hinoki tub. A regular bathtub and a shower are enough. Most of this costs nothing, or a few dollars at a dollar store.
Wash first, then soak
Shower first (sitting on a small plastic stool if you have one), then run the bath. Clean water feels completely different.
Mind the temperature
Aim for about 40°C. A cheap kitchen or bath thermometer takes the guesswork out. Hotter isn't better.
DIY tub cover
Cut a piece of foam insulation board or a folded yoga mat to rest across the tub. It keeps the water hot so you can soak longer without topping up.
Seasonal baths
Japan floats yuzu in the bath on the winter solstice. Float a few sliced oranges or lemons, or tie herbs in a cloth. Epsom salt is a cheap "onsen-ish" option.
Water heater limits
Many tanks can't fill a full tub with hot water. Shower first (as above), then fill the tub — or fill it halfway and sit back.
Reuse the water
Japanese households often reuse bathwater for laundry or watering plants. Let it cool first, and skip it if you've used bath oils or salts on plants.
Safety: start with shorter soaks, drink water, skip alcohol before bathing and get out if you feel dizzy. If you're pregnant or have heart or blood-pressure concerns, check with your doctor first.
Sento: the neighbourhood public bath 銭湯
A sento is a local bathhouse with ordinary heated tap water — think community pool meets bathtub. They're cheap (prices are set by each prefecture; in Tokyo it's a few hundred yen), friendly and very local.
- Pay at the front (often a ticket machine or counter). Bring small cash and your own towel, soap and shampoo, or rent/buy them there.
- Men's and women's sides are separate. Look for the curtains: 男 is men, 女 is women. Colours vary, so check the kanji.
- Shoes off at the entrance and into a little locker.
- Undress fully in the changing room. Swimsuits aren't worn.
- Wash at a station, seated, and rinse your stool and area when done.
- Keep hair and towels out of the water. Tie long hair up.
- Keep it calm: no splashing, swimming or loud chatting, and no phones or cameras.
- Dry off before walking back into the changing room.
Onsen: hot springs how-to 温泉
An onsen uses natural mineral water from a hot spring. You'll find them at ryokan (traditional inns), day-use bathhouses and resort towns like Hakone, Beppu and Kusatsu. Sento etiquette applies, plus:
The small towel
You'll get a small towel for washing and for modesty while walking around. It never goes in the water — fold it on your head or set it on the edge.
Big towel stays behind
Leave your bath towel in the locker or basket. You'll use it once you're back in the changing room.
Wash first, always
Even if you showered at the hotel. Some people also pour a few scoops of bath water over themselves first to adjust to the heat.
Ease in
Some springs run very hot. Get in slowly, soak in short rounds, and drink water between dips.
Don't rinse at the end (optional)
Many people skip the final rinse so the minerals stay on the skin — unless the water is very acidic or you have sensitive skin.
Private baths
Shy, travelling as a mixed group or with tattoos? Look for a kashikiri (private, bookable) bath or a room with its own open-air tub.
Tattoos
Many onsen and some sento still refuse entry to people with tattoos, because of old associations with organised crime. Policies are changing, though, especially for foreign visitors.
- Check first: look at the website or ask; "tattoo-friendly" lists exist for many areas.
- Small tattoos: some places allow them if you cover them with a skin-coloured patch sticker.
- Sento are generally more relaxed than resort onsen, but rules vary.
- Private baths (kashikiri or in-room) are the stress-free option.
- If staff say no, accept it politely — it's their rule, not personal.
Onsen & sento map
A few favourite hot-spring towns and neighbourhood bathhouses to get you started.
Marker colours show the main water type. "Tattoo-friendly" is only shown where we've confirmed it; rules change, so always check ahead. Booking links may be affiliate links.
Step-by-step checklist
Before you go
- Check opening hours and the tattoo policy
- Bring cash (small bills and coins)
- Pack a small towel, a bath towel and a hair tie (or plan to rent)
- Drink water; skip alcohol and a heavy meal right before
At the bath
- Shoes off, into the shoe locker
- Pay, and find the right curtain (男 men / 女 women)
- Undress fully; clothes and big towel in the locker or basket
- Take only the small towel in
- Sit at a washing station and wash everything; rinse off all soap
- Rinse your stool and spot
- Tie hair up; towel on your head or the edge — never in the water
- Enter slowly and quietly; no swimming, splashing or phones
- Soak in short rounds; cool off and hydrate between
- Dry off with the small towel before re-entering the changing room
- Rest, drink water, and enjoy the calm
Printables for your first soak
Free Onsen Etiquette Cheat Sheet (1 page) and the Onsen Passport stamp book (50 top onsen, CA$9 launch) are ready to list on Gumroad and Etsy. Links go live with this page.
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