Bathing culture
Tattoo cover stickers for onsen: sizes, rules and where to buy
How tattoo cover stickers work at Japanese onsen. Real size and count rules from Dormy Inn, KAI, Ooedo Onsen Monogatari and more, where to buy, and how to make them stick.
About half of the baths on our map are marked Cover OK. In Japanese that’s usually written カバーシールで隠せば入浴可: you can bathe as long as a cover sticker hides the tattoo. For a small tattoo, it’s often the difference between the big shared bath and no bath at all. Here’s how the rules work, what sizes are allowed, and how to keep a patch on in 42°C water.
What “cover OK” actually means
A tattoo cover sticker (タトゥー隠しシール or カバーシール) is a thin, skin-colored, waterproof patch, a bit like a large plaster without the pad. The idea isn’t to fool anyone. It’s a compromise: other bathers don’t see the tattoo, and you still get to bathe.
Nearly every “cover OK” bath shares the same three conditions:
- The tattoo must be completely hidden. A patch that leaves an outline or a corner visible doesn’t count.
- There’s a limit on how many stickers you can use. Usually one or two, sometimes up to four or eight.
- There’s a limit on sticker size, so the count and size together cap how much skin you can cover.
Many baths also ask you to use their own designated sticker (指定シール), sold or handed out at the front desk. Your drugstore patch might be fine, or it might not. Always ask.
What the rules look like in practice
Across the baths we’ve checked, a single allowed sticker ranges from about 6.5×10.5 cm (roughly a credit card and a half) to about 13×19 cm (a bit smaller than an A5 sheet). Counts range from one to eight. In practice:
- A tattoo that fits under one palm-sized patch is fine almost everywhere that says “cover OK”.
- A tattoo about the size of two postcards works at chains like Dormy Inn, but not at the strictest places.
- A half sleeve, back piece or anything larger won’t fit under any sticker limit we’ve seen. Skip to the section on large tattoos below.
Some examples from our data:
- Dormy Inn and Onyado Nono hotels allow up to two stickers provided by the hotel, in three sizes: small 8.5×10.5 cm, medium 10×14 cm and large 11.8×17.2 cm. Stock is limited, so ask when you check in or before you arrive. Example: Dormy Inn PREMIUM Ginza.
- Ooedo Onsen Monogatari and its TAOYA hotels let you into the large bath only if the facility’s designated paid stickers completely cover the tattoo. At Premium Atami and Unzen Toyokan the limit is two 6.5×10.5 cm stickers, the smallest we’ve recorded. Example: Ooedo Onsen Monogatari Premium Atami.
- Hoshino Resorts KAI has no tattoo rules at all in guests-only baths. In baths shared with day visitors, tattoos must be coverable with up to eight 8×10 cm stickers. That’s the most generous limit we’ve seen. Example: KAI Hakone.
- Hotel Morinokaze hotels have accepted covered tattoos since July 2024. Tateyama allows two designated paid stickers. Example: Hotel Morinokaze Tateyama.
It’s also worth knowing that rules keep loosening. Mitsui Garden Hotels used to restrict tattoos, but since March 2026 tattooed guests can use the large baths with no restrictions at all. Example: Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza Gochome.
Chain and facility rules at a glance
| Chain / facility | Sticker size | Max stickers | Sticker from the facility? | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dormy Inn / Onyado Nono | 8.5×10.5, 10×14 or 11.8×17.2 cm | 2 | Yes, provided by the hotel (limited stock) | Not listed |
| Ooedo Onsen Monogatari / TAOYA | 6.5×10.5 cm at Atami and Unzen | 2 at those branches | Yes, designated paid stickers | Paid; amount not listed |
| Hoshino Resorts KAI (shared baths) | 8×10 cm | 8 | Not stated | Not listed |
| Hotel Morinokaze Tateyama | Designated sticker | 2 | Yes, designated paid stickers | Paid; amount not listed |
| Manyo Club Tokyo Toyosu | About 11×20 cm | 2 | Yes, designated stickers | Not listed |
| Umekita Onsen Ren (Osaka) | 11.4×20 cm | 4 | Yes, designated paid stickers | Paid; amount not listed |
| Fushimi Chikara no Yu (Kyoto) | 13×19 cm | 1 | Yes, designated sticker | Not listed |
| Maenohara Onsen Sayanoyudokoro (Tokyo) | 11×20 cm | 2 | Yes, sold on site | ¥310 each |
| Okunikko Hotel Shikisai | 10×15 cm | Not stated | Yes, designated sticker | ¥250 |
| Tennen Onsen Yuneru | Small / medium / large | Not stated | Yes, sold on site | ¥200 / ¥250 / ¥400 |
Rules change, and branches of one chain can differ. Always check the facility page on our site, and the counter on the day.
Where to buy cover stickers
At the bath. The easiest option. Many “cover OK” baths sell or hand out stickers at the front desk, and at the stricter ones that’s the only kind accepted.
At a Japanese drugstore. Chains like Matsumoto Kiyoshi (マツモトキヨシ), Welcia (ウエルシア) and discount stores like Don Quijote (ドン・キホーテ) often carry them. Look in the first-aid or skin-care aisle for タトゥー隠しシール (tattoo cover seal) or 傷隠しシール (scar cover seal). Stock varies by store, so if you can’t find them, show a staff member the Japanese words.
From home. Waterproof tattoo cover patches are easy to find online. Bring a few different sizes, and a spare in case one peels. Just remember that some baths only accept their own sticker.
Match your skin tone. Japanese stores mostly stock light beige shades. If your skin is darker, bring your own patches. A visible mismatch is still fine at most baths, since the rule is that the tattoo is hidden, not that the patch is invisible.
How to make it stay on in hot water
Hot water, steam and soap are hard on adhesive. A few habits make a big difference:
- Measure first. Check that one or two stickers really cover the whole design, with about 1 cm of margin all round.
- Clean and dry the skin. Wipe off sweat, sunscreen and body oil. Don’t use lotion or moisturizer on that area beforehand.
- Apply in the changing room, before you enter the bathing area. Putting it on while you’re already wet or in the steam rarely works.
- Press firmly, especially the edges. Smooth it from the center outward and hold it for 20–30 seconds. Body heat helps it bond.
- Go easy on the scrubbing. When you wash at the shower stations, don’t rub soap or a towel over the patch.
- Avoid joints if you can. Patches on elbows, knees or wrists lift faster. Check them now and then.
If a sticker starts peeling, get out, dry off and replace it in the changing room. Don’t bathe with a half-hidden tattoo.
What if the tattoo is too big to cover?
If your tattoo won’t fit under the allowed stickers, don’t try to squeeze it under anyway. Staff can and do refuse entry. You have two good options:
- Book a private bath. A 貸切風呂 (kashikiri-buro), or a room with its own open-air bath, lets you bathe with no rules about tattoos at all. See our private onsen guide.
- Filter the map. On the map, untick “Cover OK” and keep Tattoos OK and Private bath only selected to see only places where you won’t need a sticker.
Sticker etiquette
- Don’t peel it off in the bath. Keep it on until you’re back in the changing room. At some places, like Manyo Club Toyosu, it has to stay on throughout the building, not just in the water.
- Throw it away properly. Put used stickers in the changing-room bin, never in the drain, the bath or the sauna.
- Don’t argue about the limit. If staff say your tattoo is too big, thank them and move on. There’s almost always a tattoo-friendly bath nearby.
Phrases to show the staff
- タトゥーがあります。シールで隠せば入れますか？ Tatū ga arimasu. Shīru de kakuseba hairemasu ka? “I have a tattoo. Can I bathe if I cover it with a sticker?”
- カバーシールはフロントで買えますか？ Kabā shīru wa furonto de kaemasu ka? “Can I buy cover stickers at the front desk?”
- 自分のシールを使ってもいいですか？ Jibun no shīru o tsukatte mo ii desu ka? “Can I use my own sticker?”
- この大きさで大丈夫ですか？ Kono ōkisa de daijōbu desu ka? “Is this size OK?”
- 貸切風呂はありますか？ Kashikiri-buro wa arimasu ka? “Do you have a private bath?”
More in our phrase cards.