About this site

How we check

Based in Japan. Every rule checked against the official Japanese source — with the date we checked.

A garden seen from a traditional room
Area photoA garden seen from a traditional room. Not a listed bath.

Who makes this

Japan Travel Rules is made by a small team based in Japan. We don't put names or faces on the site: what matters is the rule itself, and you can check every one at its source.

How a page is made

  1. We list the facilities in each area from public lists.
  2. AI reads each facility's own official website, in Japanese. Not reviews, blogs or booking sites.
  3. Every quote is matched by machine against the original page. If a quote or a number can't be matched, we don't show it.
  4. When the wording is unclear, or the facility's own pages disagree, we don't guess. The page says "Still being checked" and points you to the official site until a person has looked.
  5. Every page shows the Japanese original, a plain-English version, the link, and the date we checked.

What we do

  • Show only what the facility's official site says, in its own words.
  • Say "Not stated on the official site" when the site doesn't say. That isn't a no — and it's useful to know before you go.
  • List places A–Z.

What we don't do

  • No ratings, stars, scores or rankings.
  • We don't fill gaps with guesses.
  • We haven't visited these places, and we don't write as if we had. We read their official websites.
  • No facility pays to be listed, or to change what we show.
  • Photos show the area, never a specific facility, and are credited on the photo credits page.

What the tattoo labels mean

Tattoos: Tattoos OK
The official site says people with tattoos can bathe.
Tattoos: Allowed with limits
Allowed, but with a limit the site spells out — for example a maximum size or certain hours only. We show the limit in the original Japanese with an English translation.
Tattoos: OK if covered
Allowed if you cover the tattoo (for example with a patch). Size limits are listed when the site gives them.
Tattoos: Private bath only
Not in the shared baths, but the site says a private bath is fine.
Tattoos: Tattoos not allowed
The official site says people with tattoos can't use the baths.
Tattoos: Not stated
The official site doesn't mention tattoos at all. That's useful to know too — ask before you go.
Tattoos: Still checking
We found wording on the site but haven't confirmed it yet, so we don't show it.

Rules change

Prices, hours and rules change. Each page shows what the official site said on the date we checked. If it matters for your trip, confirm with the facility before you go — and if what you see here doesn't match the official site, the official site is right.