All the Rules of Japanese Onsen Etiquette Explained!

Bathhouses are a brilliant way to spend time in Japan and to soak up Japanese culture, but they can be a little intimidating if you've never visited one before.
This video takes you inside the world of Japanese sento and onsen and runs through all the things you need to know, from walking in the door through to what all the different baths are called. And most importantly, it's a guide to all the rules and etiquette to help make your stay the most relaxing it can be!
VIDEO CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:38 The Difference Between a Sento and Onsen
01:51 The Process of Entering a Bathhouse
04:04 A Guide to the Washing Stations
05:08 The Many Types of Baths You'll Encounter
08:41 The Rules and Etiquette of Sento and Onsen
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Bathhouses Visited or Referenced:
Bunka Yokusen (Meguro, Tokyo): en.imai88.jp/works/bunkayokus...
Chiyo no Yu (Meguro, Tokyo): en.imai88.jp/works/chiyonoyu....
Daiichi Kinjo-Yu (Itabashi, Tokyo): en.imai88.jp/works/daiichikin...
Eastland (Edogawa, Tokyo): en.imai88.jp/works/eastland.html
Edo-Yu Ryogoku (Sumida City, Tokyo): www.edoyu.com/ryougoku/
Fuku no Yu (Bunkyo, Tokyo): en.imai88.jp/works/fukunoyu.html
Hasunuma Onsen (Oota, Tokyo): en.imai88.jp/works/hasunuma.html
Kairyou Yu (Shibuya, Tokyo): en.imai88.jp/works/kairyo-yu....
Kohmei-sen (Meguro, Tokyo): en.imai88.jp/works/koumeisen....
Mikoku Yu (Sumida, Tokyo): en.imai88.jp/works/mikokuyu.html
Okura Yu (Machida, Tokyo): en.imai88.jp/works/okura.html
Togoshi Ginza (Shinagawa, Tokyo): en.imai88.jp/works/togoshigin...
Karaku (Gota, Kanagawa): www.gora-karaku.jp/en/
Manyo Club (Yokohama, Kanagawa): www.manyo.co.jp/mm21/
Makoto no Yu (Shimogyo, Kyoto): www.yunoyadosyouei.jp/
Renka no Yu Onyado Nono Kyoto Shichijo (Kyoto City, Kyoto): www.hotespa.net/hotels/nono_k...
Thoron Onsen Inari (Nakagyo, Kyoto): www.thoron-onsen.com/
Irifune Onsen (Nishinari, Osaka): irihune.co.jp/
Hinode Yu (Nishinari, Osaka): hinodeyu-osaka.com/
Taihei no Yu Namba (Naniwa, Osaka): www.taiheinoyu.jp/mysite13/ind...
Manyo Club (Kobe, Hyogo): www.manyo.co.jp/kobe/eng/
Spa Resort Ogoto Agaryanse (Otsu, Shiga): www.agaryanse.co.jp/
Futo Onsen (Ito, Shizuoka): futo-onsen.com/
Kisuke no Yu (Imabari, Ehime): www.kisuke.com/yu-imabari/
Dogo Onsen (Matsuyama, Ehime): dogo.jp/
Nagayu Onsen Gozenyu (Taketa, Oita): www.gozenyu.com/
Oniishi no Yu (Beppu, Oita): oniishi.com/oniishi-no-yu/
Ryochiku Bettei (Beppu, Oita): www.ryoutiku.com/en/
Yama no Yu (Misasa, Tottori): izanro.co.jp/en/hot_springs/
Yukko Morioka (Morioka, Iwate): en.imai88.jp/works/yukko.html
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Additional music via pixabay.com: pixabay.com/ and my good pal Kbit: kbit.bandcamp.com/music
Much love to LQ for designing the Kampai Cam in Japan logo.
A big thanks to Vecteezy.com for the royalty-free assets: www.vecteezy.com/
A big thanks to Pixabay for the royalty-free sound effects: pixabay.com/
The AI art was all generated using creator.nightcafe.studio/
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#Japan #JapanTravel #JapanTrip #Onsen #Japanvlog #sento #bathhouse #hotspring #hotsprings #Beppu #Tokyo #Osaka #Kyoto
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[@dakilangt.v.2180]

"Thank you, Kampai Cam, for shedding light on the intricate etiquette of Japanese onsens! Your explanation helps demystify the experience of visiting bathhouses in Japan. It's wonderful to see you making an effort to bridge the gap for those who might find this cultural aspect intimidating. Sharing these insights not only enhances our understanding but also enriches our cultural appreciation. Your videos are invaluable guides for anyone exploring Japan. Keep up the fantastic work!"

[@Kampai_Cam]

Thank you so much! Greatly appreciated ❤️

[@x808drifter]

This is one of the things I miss about my trips and want to share with my friends when we finally go.

[@tidalfriction5301]

I love it when the hotel already has one

[@QuizzicalEarth]

NIce overview, looking forward to my upcoming trip to Japan

[@Kampai_Cam]

Thanks! Have fun!

[@GrizGaming]

Great vid. Over the course of five or so trips to Japan, I never had the time (read: guts) to try an onsen. Thanks to these tips, I reckon I'll be taking the plunge this year.

[@alexandergiesser]

Great job Cam! This was a great way to start my Saturday morning and daydream of a trip!

[@eduardwilliams1245]

Everything one needs to know. Great video.

[@rosew1]

My daughter has lived in Japan for 11 yrs. She loves onsens, so when I came to visit her, she really wanted me to go with her. We went to an outdoor onsen in the Minami alps region of Yamanashi. I was hesitant, but I went. It was wonderful! Sitting out in the beautiful nature. soaking and relaxing. I was glad I went and would go again.

[@Kampai_Cam]

Aaah that's fantastic! Glad to hear you had such a nice experience 😊

[@RetroTuna]

i went to an onsen and i have tattoo's and my one arm is full off asian art, i spoke to the guy at the desk he shuffled off to talk to the manager there some going back and fore and he came out and passed me a towel and pointed at my arm and said cover lol, so i had to where a towel on my arm but i have to say it was super relaxing just what i needed after a full day sight seeing.

[@Kampai_Cam]

Aaah that's awesome!

[@TravelandBeyond23]

Fascinating video

[@freakyfriday3059]

I always wash every part of my body before getting the public bath. I observed several older woman just splashing their lower parts. I was told that soaking first loosens dead skin cells. The length of time they were soaking-those skin cells have sloughed off! THEN I was told that that was the reason the water was constantly running and they would float away. Excuses for everything?

[@Conn30Mtenor]

I knew that there was a good reason to not get a tattoo. Beppu is on my list

[@Wesleycreardon]

I need to find art like your thumbnail! Doko desuka, my dude??

[@teresakopaz5219]

Soaked in a bath with kabosu floating in it, at the JR Kyushu Blossom Hotel in Oita. It infused vitamin C.

[@pkorobase]

one question: if we visit as a couple, will we have to split sat the doors? seems so unuseful, as my wife doesnt speak japanese well. we go to mixed saunas in germany from time to time, and its so nice.

[@Kampai_Cam]

Larger places like super sento will have plenty of communal spaces like foot baths, bedrock baths, restaurants, sometimes even saunas, but the bathing areas are almost always split by gender. You might need to split apart for a soak then meet up in your yukata afterwards. Another option would be to go somewhere you can rent a private bath to share. Hope you find the ideal spot!

[@brauliosanchez6736]

Are you allowed to go into the cold bath after being in the onsen? I wasnt to sure from the video.

[@Kampai_Cam]

For sure! The main thing to bear in mind is that you need to rinse yourself down (to get the sweat off) if you've used the sauna. I usually just use one of the buckets next to the bath and splash a few scoops over myself while crouching down next to the bath. There are usually showers too or you could go over to one of the washing stalls. The cold bath is one of the best things about any bathhouse so be sure to use it!

[@matildawolfram4687]

Stunning video! Thanks to the author of the channel for this fascinating video! It is interesting to see how people live in other countries! It is very important to know foreign languages on such trips. I would like to recommend to all travelers a practical guide to learning foreign languages by Yuriy Ivantsiv "Polyglot Notes. Practical tips for learning foreign languages". This book contains a lot of useful tips on how to learn a foreign language for tourists, students, entrepreneurs and anyone who needs a foreign language in life. There are a lot of good tips on how to solve problems with the language from beginner to advanced level of language learning. It turns out that the traveler only needs to know a few dialogues and you can easily travel around the world! You don't have to spend a lot of time to fully learn a foreign language, you just need to learn what you can use when you travel. I wish everyone exciting travel

[@SilatShooter]

Did I miss it?? I think the biggest etiquette concern for foreigners is the whole nude thing in a mixed environment. This is more a video about all the differences of Japanese Onsens.

[@tahiti1]

Nudity is not a problem for Europeans! only Americans and some other countries.

[@keikeyleno]

Can keep bikini?

[@jeanallan8106]

No

Why aren’t tourists allowed to wear tattoos before they enter an onsen?

[@Kampai_Cam]

The short answer is that tattoos are banned because they've been historically seen as a yakuza thing. Even though a tourist clearly isn't going to be a member of a Japanese gang, as is so often the way in Japan, a rule's a rule and that's the end of it. Thankfully there are more tattoo-friendly places than there used to be, but it's still changing very slowly :\