Japan's Onsen Require Full Nudity and Specific Etiquette for Foreign Visitors

Japan’s traditional hot‑spring baths, known as onsen, mandate complete nudity and strict punctuality for all users. Visitors are advised to follow unspoken protocols, such as covering tattoos with waterproof bandages, to avoid temperature‑related injuries and potential trips to the emergency room. The guide also notes that other popular swim spots are updating rules, citing recent clean‑up of Paris’s Seine and local dress fines on Italy’s Lake Como shore.

Additional travel highlights include a bear incident in a Tibet hotel, a ranking of the world’s most liveable cities, and tourism projects in Spain’s Canary Islands and South Korea’s kimchi research, but the core advice focuses on respecting Japanese onsen customs.