For anyone looking to experience this in Japan yourselves, be sure to research where to go before showing up. Some onsen will find a polite-sounding excuse to

For anyone looking to experience this in Japan yourselves, be sure to research where to go before showing up. Some onsen will find a polite-sounding excuse to deny foreigners, and most onsen will not let anyone in with visible tattoos. The tattoo bias was originally intended to discriminate against criminals/yakuza and is now used to discriminate against foreigners. Source: My wife was kicked out of one onsen after undressing, and I saw several signs against tattoos.