You’ve booked the ryokan, packed the bags, and then a small thought creeps in: wait, can I actually do that in Japan?
Maybe it’s the tattoo on your arm and the onsen you’ve been dreaming about. Maybe it’s the cold medicine in your carry-on, or the beer you want to drink on a park bench. Nobody wants to find out at the front desk, in front of a line of people, that the answer was no.
So here’s the honest answer to the “Can I…?” questions travelers ask most, with a workaround whenever the answer isn’t a clean yes. Rules in Japan are often set by individual businesses, neighborhoods, or railway companies rather than by national law, which is why so many answers are “it depends.” That’s not a dodge. It’s just how Japan works.
Quick answers
| # | Can I… | Short answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Go to an onsen with tattoos? | It depends on the facility, but private baths and cover stickers open most doors |
| 2 | Wear a swimsuit in an onsen? | Usually no. Swimwear-only spa resorts exist |
| 3 | Use an onsen on my period? | Usually not the shared baths. Ask about a private bath |
| 4 | Bring kids to an onsen? | Yes, in most places. Check the diaper rules |
| 5 | Bring my medicine? | Often yes, but some common drugs are banned outright |
| 6 | Vape in Japan? | Heated tobacco, yes. Nicotine liquid is tricky |
| 7 | Smoke outside? | Only in designated spots in many areas |
| 8 | Drink in public? | Legal in most places, but not everywhere |
| 9 | Eat while walking? | Not illegal, but often frowned upon |
| 10 | Talk on the phone on a train? | Not illegal, but please don’t |
| 11 | Tip? | No |
| 12 | Photograph maiko in Gion? | Not in the private alleys. Ask first |
| 13 | Bring a big suitcase on the Shinkansen? | Yes, but oversized bags need a reservation on some lines |
| 14 | Get by without cash? | Mostly yes, but carry some |
| 15 | Throw my trash away anywhere? | Public bins are rare. Plan to carry it |
The big one: onsen and tattoos
Short answer: it depends on the facility, and there are more ways in than most travelers expect.
Tattoo bans at onsen come from the old association between tattoos and organized crime. They’re about image, not about foreign visitors, and a lot of staff will tell you they’re sorry about the rule. Tattoos themselves aren’t illegal in Japan. This is purely the policy of each bathing facility.
How common is the ban? A 2015 Japan Tourism Agency survey found that a majority of responding facilities (56%) refused tattooed guests, while 31% allowed them unconditionally and 13% allowed them if covered. That survey is over a decade old, and the Japan Tourism Agency has since encouraged operators to be more flexible, so the real picture today is friendlier. But you still can’t assume a yes.
Here are your options, from most reliable to least:
- A room with its own bath. Many ryokan and onsen hotels offer rooms with a private open-air bath (heya-tsuki rotenburo). Nobody else sees you, so the tattoo policy doesn’t matter. This is the surest option, and it’s also a lovely way to do an onsen stay.
- A reservable private bath (kashikiri-buro). Many ryokan and some day-use facilities rent out private baths for a set time, often 30 to 60 minutes. If you’re not staying overnight, call or email ahead to confirm they accept day visitors.
- A tattoo-friendly public bath. Plenty of public bathhouses and onsen openly allow tattoos, and there are online directories that list them by region. Policies change, so confirm before you go.
- Cover stickers. Waterproof tattoo cover patches are sold online and at some discount stores. They work for small tattoos at facilities that accept them. Many places only allow stickers up to a certain size, and some don’t accept them at all, so this is the least predictable option.
The smart move: ask before you book. Send a short email to the ryokan or facility with your tattoo’s size and location and ask what they allow. Staff respond better to a polite message in advance than to a surprise at the entrance. If you want to ask in person, try: “Kashikiri-buro wa arimasu ka?” (Do you have a private bath?)
[LINK: dedicated onsen tattoo guide] Our full guide to tattoo-friendly onsen, with how to ask and what to pack, is coming next.
Body & bath
2. Can I wear a swimsuit in an onsen?
Usually no. Traditional onsen are gender-separated, and you bathe without clothes after washing thoroughly at the shower stations first. Your small towel stays out of the water (most people set it on their head or on the edge of the bath). Swimsuits in the bath are generally considered unhygienic.
If nude bathing isn’t for you, look for spa resorts built around swimwear, where everyone wears a suit and the baths are mixed. They feel more like a hot-spring theme park than a traditional onsen, but they’re a good compromise. Private baths are the other easy fix.
3. Can I use an onsen on my period?
Rules vary, but many facilities ask guests on their period to skip the shared baths. If you’re set on a soak, a private bath or the bath in your room is the simplest solution, and some places also have foot baths. If you’re staying at a ryokan, you can ask quietly at check-in about your options. Staff have heard the question many times.
4. Can I bring kids to an onsen?
Yes, children are welcome at most onsen. Rules differ by facility, especially for babies and toddlers in diapers and for the age at which kids should use the bath that matches their gender. A private bath is the easiest option with young children, since you don’t have to think about anyone else’s rules.
Rules & law
5. Can I bring my medicine into Japan?
Often yes, but check first, because a few common medicines are banned.
- Prescription medicine: up to a one-month supply is generally fine without special paperwork. Bringing more than that, or carrying syringes, means getting an import certificate (Yunyu Kakunin-sho) in advance. Apply at least two weeks before you fly.
- Over-the-counter medicine: up to a two-month supply of allowable products.
- Banned outright: medicines containing amphetamine or methamphetamine, which includes ADHD medications like Adderall. Medicines with a high concentration of pseudoephedrine (some cold and allergy products) are also prohibited, and medicines with codeine above a low threshold count as narcotics.
Bringing a banned drug can lead to arrest, even with a valid prescription from home. Check your exact product against the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s official guidance before you pack, and carry your prescription and a doctor’s letter.
6. Can I vape in Japan?
Heated tobacco is easy. Nicotine e-liquid is complicated.
Heated tobacco devices (IQOS, glo, Ploom) are legal and sold at convenience stores and tobacco shops across the country. Nicotine liquid for traditional vapes is regulated in Japan as a pharmaceutical, so you won’t find it in normal shops. Non-nicotine vapes are a different category.
Whether you can bring your own nicotine liquid in is where travel sites disagree. Check with Japan Customs before you fly rather than trusting a blog post, including this one. The simplest plan is to leave the e-liquid at home and switch to heated tobacco for the trip.
7. Can I smoke outside?
Only where it’s allowed. Many cities and wards ban smoking on the street, with designated smoking areas instead, and some impose fines. Indoors, smoking is restricted in most restaurants and public places, though many have a separate smoking room. If you don’t see an ashtray or a smoking sign, assume you can’t.
8. Can I drink in public?
In most places, yes. In some places, no.
Japan has no national ban on drinking in public. Grabbing a beer from a convenience store for a park bench or a hanami picnic is normal. The legal drinking age is 20, though.
The exceptions are local. Shibuya in Tokyo bans street drinking in a defined area around the station every night from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m., including the scramble crossing and Center Gai. There’s no fine, but security patrols will ask you to stop. Some districts add temporary bans around Halloween. If you see a sign, follow it.
Manners
9. Can I eat while walking?
It’s not illegal, but it’s often considered impolite, especially in crowded streets where food can end up on someone’s kimono. Many markets and tourist streets post “no eating while walking” signs. The easy solution is the local habit: grab your snack and eat it right next to the stall, then throw out the wrapper there.
10. Can I take a phone call on the train?
Technically allowed, socially frowned upon. Japanese trains are quiet by custom. Put your phone on silent (called manner mode), texting is fine, and if a call can’t wait, step off at the next stop or move to the connecting deck between cars on a Shinkansen. Near priority seats, many railways ask passengers to be extra careful with phones.
11. Can I tip?
You don’t need to, and it can cause confusion. Great service is the standard, so there’s no tip jar. Some staff may chase you down the street to return what they think you forgot. A warm “Gochis?sama deshita” (thanks for the meal) on your way out is the real compliment.
Watch for two charges that aren’t tips. Many izakaya add a small table charge (otoshi), which comes with a little appetizer. Some higher-end places add a service charge. Neither is a scam.
12. Can I photograph maiko in Gion?
Not in the private alleys, and always ask first. Residents in Kyoto’s Gion district banned photography in the private alleys near Hanamikoji Street in 2019, with a posted \10,000 fine, after repeated problems with tourists chasing and grabbing maiko and entering private property. The main public streets, such as Hanamikoji and Shirakawa, are fine to photograph. Treat maiko as people on their way to work, not as scenery.
[LINK: Kyoto crowd-avoidance timing strategy] The calmer hours and quieter corners of Kyoto make Gion much easier to enjoy respectfully.
Logistics
13. Can I bring a big suitcase on the Shinkansen?
Yes, but on some lines oversized bags need a reservation. On the Tokaido, Sanyo, and Kyushu Shinkansen, bags whose three sides add up to between 160 and 250 cm need a reserved seat with an oversized baggage area. The reservation is free. If you skip it, expect a \1,000 charge per bag.
Most travelers with normal carry-on and medium bags are fine. If you’re hauling something bigger, there’s an even easier option: send your suitcase ahead to your next hotel with a luggage forwarding service (takky?bin) and travel with a light bag.
14. Can I get by without cash?
In big cities, mostly yes. Everywhere else, keep some yen. Cards and IC cards (like Suica) work on transit and in many shops, but small restaurants, rural ryokan, temples, shrines, and some market stalls still prefer cash. Carry a few thousand yen at all times and you won’t have to think about it.
15. Can I throw my trash away anywhere?
You’ll have a hard time finding a bin. Public trash cans are rare in Japan, so locals carry their garbage until they get home. Convenience stores have bins for items bought there, and train stations have sorted bins for cans, bottles, and burnables. Carry a small bag for wrappers and you’ll fit right in.
The pattern behind all 15
Almost every answer above comes down to one idea: meiwaku, or not causing trouble for the people around you. Most of these aren’t laws. They’re shared expectations, and following them is how you show respect.
The good news is that Japan is a forgiving place for visitors who make an effort. If you’re not sure, ask politely and in advance. Staff almost always appreciate the question, and a little effort often opens doors that a blunt “can I?” at the last minute wouldn’t.
[LINK: Japanese phrases for travelers series] A few useful lines for asking about baths, bags, and bills.
FAQ
Is having a tattoo illegal in Japan?
No. Tattoos are legal. Restrictions apply only to specific places like onsen, public baths, pools, and gyms, where each facility sets its own policy.
What is the legal drinking and smoking age in Japan?
20 for both.
Is public drinking legal in Japan?
Mostly yes, with local exceptions. Shibuya, for example, restricts nighttime street drinking around its station.
Can I take ADHD medication to Japan?
Medications containing amphetamine, such as Adderall, are prohibited. Contact the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare well before you travel to confirm what’s allowed for your prescription.
Do I need to tip in Japan?
No. Tipping isn’t expected and can cause confusion.
You’re ready
Most “Can I…?” worries in Japan have an answer, and a workaround behind it. Pick the right bath, check your medicine list, carry a little cash, and ask politely when you’re unsure.
comment