Tattoos at Japanese ryokan and resorts: which parts of the hotel the rules cover

• Read which place a rule covers. At the hotels below, the rules we found are written for the shared baths, particular pools, the spa or public areas.
• Size matters at some hotels. Several distinguish a small tattoo, which can be covered or is allowed, from a larger one.
• Covering up is sometimes the answer: some hotels lend rash guards or give out tape.
• Having a bath in your room is a fact about the room, not a rule. Unless the hotel says how its tattoo rule applies to that bath, treat it as not stated.

“Not stated” means the page we read does not say. It is not the same as “allowed”.

At FUFU Atami every room has its own open-air bath, but the page that sets the shared-bath rule does not say how it applies to the room’s bath. Gora Kadan does address it: the inn points guests with larger tattoos to a private open-air bath, and says the pool can sometimes be booked privately. At The Busena Terrace the rule covers the whole hotel, including the spa and sauna. Check each place you plan to use.

For how to tell an in-room bath from a reservable private bath, see private onsen terms explained.

• Find the hotel’s FAQ or the page for the bath or pool you want to use, and read which places the rule names.
• Check whether a size limit applies, and whether covering up is allowed.
• If the rule is unclear, ask the hotel before booking, naming the places you want to use.