The rules for using a bath towel in a Japanese onsen

Visiting a Japanese hot spring (onsen) is a truly unique experience. When you go to an onsen, you may notice that many Japanese visitors carry a small towel. How do Japanese people actually use these towels? Let's take a look.

Point: These small towels are extremely common in Japan and are used to wash your entire body, cover private areas, and dry off. You can buy or rent one at most Japanese bathing facilities, including onsen (hot springs) and sento (public bathhouses). Never dip your towel into the bath water — doing so is considered the most serious breach of etiquette at a Japanese onsen.

Bringing a towel to an onsen is not mandatory, so no one will mind if you enter the bathing area without one. That said, using a small towel at an onsen offers several benefits, and understanding its role is also a great way to learn about Japanese culture.

Japanese bathers mainly use their towel for the following four purposes.

Before entering the onsen, use your towel to thoroughly wash your body. This pre-bath washing is essential for keeping the shared bathing area clean and ensuring the onsen water stays as pure as possible.

You can use your towel to cover private areas while moving around the bathing area. However, to keep the water clean, the towel must never touch the onsen water itself.

While soaking, you can fold your towel into a comfortable pillow. Some bathers place it on their head instead — not to keep cool, but simply because they can't dip it in the water and have nowhere else to put it.

Before heading from the bath to the changing room, dry yourself off with your towel. Since shoes are removed indoors in Japan, this helps keep the changing room floor from getting wet.

There are certain rules to follow when using towels at a hot spring (onsen). Avoiding these will help you enjoy Japanese onsens comfortably.

These are the rules regarding towel use at the onsen. Please avoid the following to enjoy your visit to a Japanese hot spring comfortably.

Dipping your towel in the water is not allowed. Although towels are kept very clean, using one to wash your body can cause it to absorb dirt and impurities, which may then contaminate the water.