The Best Tattoo Friendly Onsen in Tokyo

Are you looking for tattoo friendly onsen in Tokyo? Look no further than the Koganeyu Sento, a old-school public bathhouse in the heart of Tokyo that welcomes tattooed foreigners, all at a great price!

The outside of Koganeyu Sento – The best tattoo-friendly onsen in Tokyo!

Japan is famous for its public baths, known as onsens or sentos. Though both essentially offer the same experience, onsens refer to baths that use natural hot spring water, while sentos use artificially heated water.

Many tourists want to take part in the tradition of Japanese public bathhouses. However, this can be difficult for those with tattoos, as most bathhouses ban those with tattoos from entering. This is due to the long-standing cultural practice that only members of the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia, had tattoos. By banning tattoos in the bath houses, bathhouse owners could easily keep mafia-violence away from their bathhouses. Today, however, more people than ever before have tattoos, and a few bathhouses have starting opening their doors for tattooed bathers.

Both my husband and I have tattoos, so on our recent trip to Japan, we searched high and low to find the coolest, most-accessible onsens for tourists with tattoos.

One of our favorite sentos that we visited was the Koganeyu bathhouse. Unlike many other sentos and onsens, which are located in remote locations, Koganeyu is located directly in the center of Tokyo, and can be easily reached with Tokyo public transportation. They also are completely okay with all levels of tattoos, and the staff are friendly and helpful to foreigners.

It is the perfect way to unwind and relax after a long day of wandering the streets of Tokyo!

Koganeyu Essential Details

Koganeyu is a very trendy public bath. It was once a very old school public sento, but in an attempt to revive both the area and public bathing culture among young people, the building was completely renovated. It still maintains its old school charm, but with a very trendy, minimalist vibe. There is craft beer available on tap, and a DJ spins records that play throughout the bath house area. If you want to relax and experience Japanese culture like a trendy Japanese young person, this is the place to check out!

Koganeyu is located here, and it is relatively close to the Tokyo Skytree, so it is perfect to combine with a visit to the Taito and Sumida City Area (home to the famous Sensoji temple, and Tokyo Sky Tree, respectively).

The Hours of Koganeyu

Weekdays 6:00am-9:00am and 11:00am-0:30am
Saturday 6:00am-9:00am and 15:00am-0:30am
Sunday and Holiday 6:00am-9:00am and 11:00am-0:30am

Closed : Every Second and Fourth Monday of the month

Prices

Koganeyu is a very affordable bathhouse, with the following prices:

Adult 550 Yen (90 minutes time limit) – ($3.72)
Child 13-15 years 450 Yen
Child 6-12 years 200 Yen
Baby 100 Yen

If you want to use the sauna attached to the baths, there is an additional fee:

Additional Sauna fee (2 hour time limit)

Weekday : men +550 Yen, women +350 Yen
Saturday, Sunday, holiday : men +600 Yen, women +400 Yen

How to Visit Koganeyu

Bathing in a Japanese public bath house can seem overwhelming at first due to the number of steps involved and the fear of breaking unspoken bathing rules, but it is actually not that hard! Here are the steps for enjoying a tattoo-friendly onsen experience at Koganeyu.

Purchase Tickets

When you enter the bathhouse, the first step will be to purchase your tickets from an old school vending machine. The vending machine labels have been translated into English, making it easy for even foreigners to purchase.

All visitors must buy a bathing ticket. The bathing ticket can only be bought with cash, so be sure to bring enough yen with you.

At the machine, you can also buy an additional ticket to the sauna as well as a rental towel set (200 yen).

Once you have purchased your tickets, go to the front desk, and they will exchange your rental towel ticket for a towel. If you have purchased a sauna ticket, you will also get a wristband from the staff while allows you to enter the sauna.

Once you have your tickets, towel, and wristband, you will take your shoes off (on the tiled section) and carry your shoes up to the carpeted section where there is a shoe locker. You can lock your shoes in the locker and take the key.

Afterwards, you’ll enter the changing area via a curtained door. Confirm with staff that you are entering the correct gender’s locker room!

The vending machine where you purchase tickets

Getting ready in the changing room

Once you are in the changing room, you’ll want to pick an unused locker. Take all of your clothes off, and store all of your belongings in the locker. All that you should bring into the baths with you are: a small towel (place the larger towel in the locker for drying yourself afterwards), your locker key (which is on a wristband), water for drinking, and any soaps or shower products that you may want to bring with you.

Clean Yourself

Then, you will leave the changing area and enter the washing area. I do not have photos of this area, as it is obviously prohibited to take photos in an area where people are naked.

The most essential rule of public bathing in Japan is that you must first wash yourself before entering the onsen/sento. In the washing area, there are a number of small seats with buckets and mini showers above them. Koganeyu provides soap and shampoo free of charge. Sit on one of the small stools, and using the buckets and the shower, be sure to wash your entire body well. Washing your hair is optional, but if you do not wash it, be sure to keep your hair out of the sento water.

Bathing

Once you have thoroughly washed yourself, you can now enter the bathing and sauna area. Here, you will essentially dip between the pools, all of which are at different temperatures. There is no set time for each pool or order, so just stay in each bath as long as you feel comfortable. You can also dip between pools and saunas. Once you have gotten your fill of bathing, go back to the washing area and wash and rinse yourself again. After washing off, head back to the changing room to dry off and get dressed. There are hairdryers available to use, but be sure to bring your own hairbrush.

After you’ve finished getting dressed, leave your key back in the locker door and head out to the reception area. Here, you can drop off your used rental towel, and you can even relax and grab a house-brewed craft beer to celebrate your first Japanese public bath experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I wear a swimsuit?

No, 99% percent of Japanese public baths prohibit the use of swimsuits. Naked public bathing is simply part of the culture, and its a unique experience to embrace!

Is it uncomfortable to be naked around strangers?

For many westerners, the idea of being naked around strangers is the material of nightmares. However, I find Japanese public bathhouses to be a uniquely empowering experience. When you, and everyone else, are naked, you realize that no one really cares what you look like at all! Other people are focused on their own relaxation, and they could care less what you look like naked!

Do I need to remove body hair?

No, Japanese culture is fairly open when it comes to keeping the body natural. You will see a variety of people with different levels of body hair grooming, but ungroomed (or groomed) body hair are both acceptable. The only essential step to prepare for the bath is to wash yourself well before entering.

Can I bath in a mixed gender environment?

No, bathing is strictly separated by gender in 99% of Japanese public baths, including Koganeyu. If you want to bathe with a partner of the opposite gender, you must book a private onsen as part of a luxury hotel package.

Are children welcome?

Yes, children are welcome, and you will often see Japanese families bathing with children. Young, pre-pubescent children may enter the opposite gender bathing area with a parent of the opposite sex.

Do I need to bring anything with me?

No, you can rent a towel from Koganeyu. Shampoo and soap is provided. However, it is recommended to bring your own hairbrush and hair conditioner if you have long hair.

Do they accept credit card?

You must have cash to pay for the bathing ticket, but you can purchase towel rental sets, sauna add-on tickets, beer, and other refreshments can be purchased with credit card.