Sit on a stool at the washing stations and thoroughly wash and rinse your entire body before stepping into the bath, this isn’t optional or a quick rinse, it’s the actual cleaning step. The bath itself is soaking only.
No swimsuits, bathe nude. Tie up long hair so it doesn’t touch the water. Use the small towel for modesty while walking around or to wipe off, but keep it out of the bath entirely, most people set it on top of their head or on the edge of the bath while soaking.
- This applies at both onsen (natural hot springs) and sento (regular public bathhouses) — the washing-first, towel-out-of-water rules are consistent across both.
- Talking is fine, splashing or swimming isn’t — it’s a quiet, relaxed space, treat it more like a spa than a pool.