Tattoo-Friendly Japanese Bathing Culture Tour at Funaoka Onsen
Description
Looking for a truly authentic Japanese experience beyond the typical tourist spots? Join us for a unique cultural journey into the heart of Japan’s bathing tradition! Just like the tea ceremony, bathing in Japan is a deeply rooted cultural ritual. But how do you bathe the Japanese way? What are the dos and don’ts? Our bathing specialists will guide you through the fascinating etiquette and health benefits of Japanese baths—and then you’ll get to try it for yourself! What to Expect: Start at a one-of-a-kind cafe—a cozy space that was once a public bathhouse ! Here, you’ll learn the history and meaning behind Japanese bathing culture, complete with a take-home guide to proper bathing techniques. Then soak like a local at the legendary Funaoka Onsen, a beautifully preserved bathhouse loved by Kyoto residents for generations. ✨ Why Join? A chance to experience Japanese culture with all five senses. Great for travelers interested in wellness, mindfulness, and local traditions.
Tour Options
Itinerary
This cafe was renovated from a public bathhouse and is one you can only experience here. While sipping a drink, you will learn about the history of Japanese public baths and how to bathe.
Before taking a bath, we will use materials to lecture on unique bathing methods. After the lecture, please try the bathing method yourself.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- staff are not homosexual.
- I am an independent guide and am not an employee of Funaoka onsen
- The guide is a local Japanese and is not very good at English.
- Individuals with contraindications for Hot spring (e.g., severe heart or lung diseases, recent gastrointestinal bleeding, advanced malignant tumors, or severe anemia).
- Individuals feeling unwell on the day, those with a fever, or those who have consumed alcohol.
- Participants who cannot bathe independently or require significant assistance (e.g., wheelchair users).
- If a doctor advises against participation, the individual must refrain from joining the experience.
Reviews(20)
What an experience this was! Atsuki was very charismatic and provided history of onsens beforehand. He provided a guide on what order to do in the bath. I had an amazing time and really appreciated Atsuki's expertise and professionalism!
My first time at an Onsen and I was a bit nervous. Atsuki our guide was helpful, informative and very friendly. He explained the process and everything was relaxing and great. Atsuki even bought us coffee in a cafe beforehand and drove us to a shopping plaza after! I would DEFINITELY book this again. Also the cold bath was my favorite and I’m not fond of cold water! Thank you!
Beautiful experience getting a local history and perspective of bathing culture. Loved the before tour at a historical bath house. Our guide did a wonderful job explaining the ins and outs ahead of time before we had our bath experience, and making sure we were well prepared. Perfect amount of time, and the bath house we enjoyed ourselves. My friend did have a tattoo, no issues there.
Our guide was so informative explaining the culture of bathhouses in Japan. He was friendly and interesting. Big thums up!
I learned a lot and my bath experience was great, the guide gave me really good advice, answered all of my questions, and was very kind. I recommend at 100% ! 😊
Very nice experience. Atsuki was an excellent guide. Highly recommended.
It was a memorable experience and a great way to connect to a local. I enjoyed the experience ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Very informative on an aspect of Japanese history and culture. This particular Onsen has an interesting history of how it came to be and how the founders competed with traditional geothermal Onsen. Important to know the it requires nude bathing but is segregated by gender, so may not be for everyone and couples will be separated.
This is Atsuki, your guide. Thank you very much for joining the tour. I’m very happy that you took an interest in Japan’s bathing culture and history. If possible, it would be ideal if people could wear swimsuits and bathe together in a mixed-gender setting, but due to Japan’s bathing culture, facilities are strictly separated by gender, and I feel sorry about that. Thank you again for your high rating.
The Family and I wanted an onsen experience but really had no clue where to begin so we booked this guided tour with Atsuki. We were about 30 minutes early and walked the neighborhood, filled mostly with residential dwellings. We met our guide, Atsuki, about 15 minutes before our start time. We were walked to a local cafe that it turns out was a converted onsen (technically a sento, but I’m not qualified to list the nuances!) and given a brief, but very informative history on bathing culture and bathing etiquette. We were also given (humorous) warnings about locals policing said etiquette. We were each given a bathing kit with two towels, shampoo and bath gel to use. Atsuki walked us in to Funaoka Onsen and we separated, males around the blue curtain and females around the red one. The overall experience was relaxed and light and Atsuki was a great communicator even given his limited English. Top notch and I would recommend this experience to anyone who is even remotely interested in giving it a try.
This is Atsuki, your guide. Thank you very much for joining the tour! I’m truly happy to receive such a high rating. I started this guided experience because I want people who are unfamiliar with how to use onsen and sento to feel comfortable and enjoy their time. I will continue doing my best to help create wonderful memories for all future participants!
Good explanation from enthusiastic guide about the onsen tradition in Japan. After the explanation paid a visit and took a bath in a relaxed way. Recommended!
Thank you very much for joining! Learning how to bathe in a way that helps you relax makes your onsen or sento experience even better, so please continue using these tips in the future.
