The volcanic islands of Japan are a paradise of natural hot springs, called onsen. Almost all traditional inns have indoor baths, and some have beautiful outside hot spring baths where you can relax and enjoy the tranquility of nature.

Let these tips be your guide when you visit a Japanese onsen:

1. Make sure you have a bath towel, and a small towel to use for washing. These are either in your room, at the front desk of an onsen, or sometimes they are provided in the changing room. The receptionist or front desk clerk will let you know where to find them.
2. In the changing room, remove all your clothes and place them in a basket or locker. Or you can change into your yukata robe in your room and then head to the bath, like the woman in the illustration above.
3. Take only the small towel with you into the bath area.
4. Rinse a stool, and sit down in front of the shower. Use soap and the small towel to scrub yourself thoroughly. Shampoo and rinse your hair. Then rinse off. Rinse the towel well, too. Be careful not to spray or splash people near you. If you have long hair, tie it up so that it will not touch the bathwater when you get in the tub. If you don’t want to wash your hair, there are usually disposable shower caps available in the changing room.
5. Use the scooper that is near the bath to rinse yourself with the hot bath water, then get in. Do not let the small towel touch the bathwater. You can fold it and put it on your head, for easy storage and to help prevent dizziness. See the illustration below.
6. Do not add cold water to the bath.
7. When it’s time to get out, rinse the bathwater off, or not. Leaving the minerals from the water on your body is considered healthy.
8. Use the small towel to get rid of as much water from your body as you can before stepping into the changing room in order to keep the floor from getting wet.
9. Use the bath towel to dry off, put on your yukata (left side over right), and put your towels in the laundry basket, or else take them back to your room and hang them up. Be sure not to put damp towels on tatami mats.
10. If you have tattoos, you are generally not allowed to enter onsen baths in Japan because of their historical link with criminality. If they are small enough, though, you can cover them with sports taping or tattoo covers.

These may seem like a lot of rules, but following them will ensure a pleasant visit to an onsen, and make the proprietors happy for you to return.

The post 10 Tips for a Delightful Japanese Onsen Experience first appeared on More Than Tokyo and is written by Diane Tincher.