Trans-friendly Onsen / Sento

[mags]

My travel group of five includes two trans individuals, and we would like to be able to all chill in an onsen or sento together. Are there any trans-friendly options out there?

 

[requiemmorrow]

My travel group of five includes two trans individuals, and we would like to be able to all chill in an onsen or sento together. Are there any trans-friendly options out there?

Japan is definitely waaay behind in this category, but if you’re okay with opposite sex all around you could check out the kon’yoku onsen in Tohoku.

Also, private onsen definitely work. One of my favorites is a ryokan called Mizunoto in Hakone where you get a hotel room you get a huge private bath. It’s not cheap though…

 

[Cinnabums]

Get a Ryokan with a small kashikiri onsen(private) and reserve it for a few hours.

Many moons ago I used one of those with my parent's and GF. Cant remember which Ryokan it was but many places have that option.

 

[Sudsy]

Private will unfortunately be your only option. The good news is that there are many private facilities available - and assuming any of you have tattoos this will handle that issue as well.

 

[Gina]

Unfortunately, kashikiri(private) onsen is the best solution. You would find it near the big cities, if you can use one day or 2D1N.

 

[Durg50]

My travel group of five includes two trans individuals, and we would like to be able to all chill in an onsen or sento together. Are there any trans-friendly options out there?

Sento im pretty sure would be impossible.

Onesen there are loads of mixed onsens (konyoku) including outdoor ones where you can wear a bathing suit if you want.

They arent specifically ‘trans friendly’ they are just everyone mixed together friendly, so should be what you are looking for.

 

[Alice]

I wish they bring back nude konyoku around Tokyo.
Sadly it’s only available in the deep countryside.

 

[Durg50]

I wish they bring back nude konyoku around Tokyo.
Sadly it’s only available in the deep countryside.

Whats the attraction? From a straight guy’s perspective, i dont see it. You are either gonna be looking at naked women you dont find attractive, or trying to stifle a boner.

 

[Alice]

Whats the attraction? From a straight guy’s perspective, i dont see it. You are either gonna be looking at naked women you dont find attractive, or trying to stifle a boner.

Being able to visit onsen with people from the opposite sex.
This is normal for sauna in many north European countries and it’s a really nice family activity.

Also if there is an erotic aspect rather than a family aspect, it’s consensual voyeurism for me. I do like being watched but I’m not much into play in public because you can be caught by people who did not want to see that.

 

[fireman]

One of my Japanese professors in college in the US (a blonde woman) had a story about going to a konyoku onsen in Tohoku -- she disrobed, entered the bath area, and immediately some fucking oyajis gasped and pointed at her, and she nope'd right out.

I've heard that others are so dark and steamy inside that you can't really see other people in the bath, and since the sexes have separate changing areas there isn't much to see outside the bath either.

 

[Gina]

One of my Japanese professors in college in the US (a blonde woman) had a story about going to a konyoku onsen in Tohoku -- she disrobed, entered the bath area, and immediately some fucking oyajis gasped and pointed at her, and she nope'd right out.

Sorry to hear that. Unfortunately, some fucking oyajis are waiting for ladies. We call them "wani" crocodiles. Japan had the mixed-gender bathing culture before the westernization about 150years ago.
I've never been those places before, because they are located in the countryside.

https://www.asahi.com/sp/ajw/articles/14546407
https://travel.gaijinpot.com/japan-sightseeing-essentials/mixed-gender-onsen-in-japan/

@Alice reminded me an amusement onsen park in Hakone.
It requires swimsuits like an European style. I went there with my parents when I was a child. Sorry, I am not sure if it is trans-friendly.
https://www.yunessun.com/global/en/

 

[Alice]

One of my Japanese professors in college in the US (a blonde woman) had a story about going to a konyoku onsen in Tohoku -- she disrobed, entered the bath area, and immediately some fucking oyajis gasped and pointed at her, and she nope'd right out.

That would be the opposite of a problem for me.
Unless I’m taking my dad 😅

 

[Alice]

@Alice reminded me an amusement onsen park in Hakone.
It requires swimsuits like an European style. I went there with my parents when I was a child. Sorry, I am not sure if it is trans-friendly.
https://www.yunessun.com/global/en/

Ah yes, I’ve been there last year and it was great. They have all the different bath like wine, coffee, sake, tea…

Oedo Onsen Monogatari Urayasu is also nice for a bikini onsen.

But yeah, I don’t know either how these kind of places react to trans people.

 

[fireman]

I think the issue with indoor places, for trans people, is that they have sex-segregated changing and washing areas. If the rest of you doesn't match your genitalia, you may run into problems there.

There are a bunch of onsen in the deep countryside that are basically just outdoor ponds in the woods, and usually there is nobody else around. If you search for konyoku onsen on Youtube you'll find quite a few videos of these places. Places like these might be the most trans friendly options if you have the means to get to them.

There are also some high-end love hotels in the Tokyo area that have rooms with private outdoor rotemburo. I know these exist in Roppongi and Gotanda; I don't know whether there are any that are actually fed from hot springs.

 

[Ddddd]

I wish they bring back nude konyoku around Tokyo.
Sadly it’s only available in the deep countryside.

Takaragawa Onsen was lovely some years ago. Nowadays, you must wrap a tower around your body; otherwise, American tourists get scared.

 

[BIPSY]

I’d recommend Hakone Tent - it’s a retro guest house with 2 private onsen on site that you can reserve for your whole room/group at no extra charge. You book your rooms in advance and then you can pick your preferred onsen time when you check in.

If you’re only staying one night and check in late there’s a chance the onsen might already be booked up so watch out for that - stayed there a few times during COVID and it was pretty cheap but the last few times I checked it looked they were booked up pretty solid and prices were higher than during the pandemic but still nowhere near the cost of a high-end onsen in Hakone.

 

[superdanny]

Asakusa 24 is a bathhouse that allows transgender people to enter，However, makeup is not allowed when entering. You need to put makeup on after taking a shower.That's the place for transgender dating

 

[Roningg]

Asakusa 24 is a bathhouse that allows transgender people to enter，However, makeup is not allowed when entering. You need to put makeup on after taking a shower.That's the place for transgender dating

Is a good place to meet trans women?

 

[Katie Kinako]

I would highly recommend “Kashikiri” onsen. I’ve stayed at Yamatokan in Atagawa (fairly close to Tokyo) and had a great time there.
http://www.at-yamatokan.com/

Tattooed individuals can get away at sento (as long as it’s part of the public bath association, private ones are mostly tattoo unfriendly), but I would recommend it to trans folk unless they are fine bathing in the area designated for the opposite sex AND haven’t had gender reassignment surgery (I have some friends who are trans and went with that option, but am aware that doesn’t apply to everyone).

 

[superdanny]

Is a good place to meet trans women?

Yes, but you'd better know some Japanese