Can you bathe here with a tattoo?
This is the question we built the site around, so we answer it per situation.
Staying overnight
The tattoo policy is not stated publicly. A private or in-room bath is available, which is often an option for tattooed guests.
How it scores
Every onsen on this site is scored on the same five things.
The baths
Open-air bath
One open-air bath (Ryuzui Rotenburo). Overnight guests only.
Indoor bath
Two indoor baths, including the Gankutsu-no-Yu carved into the rock. Overnight guests are also lent the key to Shibu's nine sotoyu, which are free for them; that key is the real reason to stay in Shibu rather than day-trip.
Private (kashikiri) bath
Five private (kashikiri) baths inside the inn, on top of the open-air and indoor baths - eight baths in total. Overnight guests only. Booking method and whether they cost extra are not stated on the official site.
A private bath means nobody else is in the water with you — often the practical answer if the shared baths are closed to tattooed guests.
Practical details
- Day visits
- No — overnight guests only.
- Day visit price
- Not confirmedNo day-use bathing, no day-use meals. The inn takes overnight guests only, and says so plainly in its own FAQ. The wooden four-storey facade that people photograph from the lane is not something you can buy your way into for an hour.
- Staying overnight
- Yes
- Getting there
- On the Shibu Onsen lane, about a 10-minute walk from Yudanaka Station (Nagano Dentetsu line from Nagano) or a short bus ride; the inn is in the same valley as the Jigokudani snow monkeys. The lane is pedestrian-scale, so arrive on foot from the car park or station.
- Official website
- kanaguya.com
Book it
What we have not confirmed
We would rather show a gap than guess.
- The tattoo policy for overnight stays is not stated on the official website.