Do NOT bathe in an onsen if you are at the active stage of a disease (especially if you have a fever); Onsen bathing imposes a large burden on your body, so avoid bathing in an onsen when you are weak and tired as the symptoms may become worse.
You can feel nausea after the long bathing such as discomfortness, insomnia, digestive symptoms, or dermatitis for 3 days or a week after Onsen. When you feel such, it is necessary to stop bathing or to decrease the frequency, and take rest for recovery.
But nowadays, many ryokans (Japanese traditional inn) have private onsen and bathing clothes to cover your body when going to the public bath in the facility so that Muslim customers can still enjoy Japanese-style hot springs in a Muslim-friendly way.
First, there is no onsen age-limit. However, in regards to newborns, the hygienic aspect of the public bath house remains a concern. For that reason, it's better to wait a month to two months before their debut. Second, the hot spring's components make the floors slippery, so tread carefully!
A: The answer differs for men and women. In general, it is acceptable for men to shave in the shower area of the onsen, and razors are even provided. For women, it is not generally acceptable to shave in the onsen as this is seen as an activity that should be done privately.
No clothes or bathing suits are allowed in the onsen bathing areas. People try hard to preserve the cleanliness of onsen. They are somewhat sacred places. Clothes and bathing suits can bring dirt and soap into the hot spring waters from outside and are, therefore, considered unhygienic.
Traditionally, visitors with tattoos aren't allowed in Japan's onsen (natural hot springs) because of an age-old association with organized crime. However, times are changing, and more and more onsen have relaxed their policies—in some cases to accommodate tattooed foreign tourists.
Many people report feeling dizzy or nauseous after their first few times after going to an onsen, and this is usually because of dehydration or overheating from staying in too long.
So please don't concern yourself with being embarrassed in an onsen. It is a great experience that is both relaxing and exhilarating. Also, there is no reason to fear tourists or Japanese. Really, everyone inside the onsen doesn't care at all!
Some onsen have a strong sulfuric smell while others have a weaker one but, in general, the milkier the water, the stronger the sulfuric smell.
It is recommended that you do not shower after bathing in an onsen, as rinsing your body will weaken the minerals' healing effects. However, taking a quick cold shower or bath upon leaving the bath, which has its own health benefits, has also been recommended.
It's good manners to avoid using onsens during menstruation, particularly on heavy flow days, even when using a tampon. Onsens, like pools in Japan, do not use powerful disinfectants, so it's not very sanitary for anyone involved.
The Japanese have perfected the art of onsen, or hot spring baths, for centuries. Traditionally, men and women would bathe together in the same facility, but these days the baths are segregated by gender.
Onsen etiquette
Take a shower to cleanse yourself before bathing. Most onsens provide soap and shampoo for you to use. If not, you have to buy some. It's best not to eat before bathing in the onsen, but you need to drink a lot of water before and after your onsen bath.
It's best not to eat before bathing in the onsen, but you need to drink a lot of water before and after your onsen bath. Keep your bath to a minimum. Staying too long may cause dehydration. While an onsen is relaxing and beneficial to your health, it's generally not a good idea to enter more than three times a day.
Milk had already been established in Japan as a rich source of nutrients. And now that it was available at sento, it became the perfect way to rehydrate and replenish the body after bathing.
A visit to the sento is a chance to relax in a spacious, hot bath—or perhaps a sauna—and socialize. This social aspect, however, led many onsen and sento to prohibit tattooed guests. The Japanese taboo toward tattoos stems from their association with members of Japanese organized crime.
Couple onsens are special spaces where the two of you would never be disturbed by other people. Private onsens in guest rooms, in particular, let you spend time with your sweetheart enjoying the hot spring all day long, without the need to go out the door. The experience is largely different from normal dates.
In most cases, before you dip into the onsen bath, you will want to completely wash yourself. This means you will at least need soap, and if you want to wash your hair, shampoo and conditioner. If you are wearing makeup, your face will need makeup remover!
Massage with Onsen
Since many massages involve oils, it is best to get your massage treatment later so that none of the massage oils will get in the onsen.
Do not bring your large bath towel with you. You should be provided with a small white bathing towel that you can use to wash your body, hide your bits, and dry yourself off. Shampoo and soap are usually provided in the shower areas, but feel free to bring your own. Wash your body and hair before entering the waters.
Onsen towels
In the onsen you will rarely see anyone walking around in a towel, but if you want to keep covered up before you hop into the water, you can. You can rent a towel for a small fee, and most onsens will provide you with a 'modesty towel' to walk into the onsen with.
Onsen Place has all the amenities of a newly built home. This is evidenced by the home automation systems, alarm and surveillance cameras, solar panels and electric vehicle charging station.
To keep the locker room dry and clean, you would wipe yourself lightly with your wash-towel before entering there. After wiping your body completely with your bath-towel in the locker room, you could wear “YUKATA”, bathing clothing, a kind of KIMONO.