Onsen hair query

I have rather long hair for a guy; fairly uncreative in that regard, so its normally just back in a low ponytail when at work or sparring.

May be a stupid question, but I'm just curious how guys typically deal with that at an onsen, is it a faux pas to let it fall in the water?

Contemplating a trip during December/January, so I'd probably visit one at some point.

Women would tie up the hair and pin it up in a bun on the top so that their hair would not fall into the water. So... using a hair clip, rubber band for hair, a washcloth wrapped around your head, or something to keep it out of the water would be good manners. Right, you are not supposed to just let it fall into the water.

I (Male) have long hair which I wear in a ponytail. When visiting an Onsen or public Bath House in Japan I always wash my hair and of-course my body before entering the bath area, I make sure that others in the Bath area see that I have done so. I tie my hair back as usual and then use a long hair pin to keep the tail up and on top of my hair. As 'AK" has said it is very disrecpectful and not appreciated to allow your hair to fall into the water. Perhaps you could do some practice at home and remember to take long hair pin with you to Japan, nice to see that you are courteous enough to consider and ask this question, well done and enjoy your 'onsen experiences'.

Great, that clarifies it. Many thanks for the advice :)

Is that so? I never realised that it was a bad thing to let your hair fall in the water. I always assumed that you would wash it before getting in the bath, at the same time as you wash your body, and then it wouldn't matter if it went in the water or not, because it would be clean.

As someone who keeps their hair short, this has never been an issue for me. However I'm sure that I must have sometimes dipped my whole head in the water (i.e. including my hair) at times, just to get that all-over warmth. I wonder if people thought that was disrespectuful? I hope not, but the answers above imply that they would have done.

Are women expected to wash their hair? I've always just tied it back so it doesn't touch the water at all.

No, not necessary to wash hair every time, after all 'you are not going to put your head andhair in the water!...also remember that a true 'Onsen' water has to be 47 degrees 'hot!', therefore putting your head in the water is both dangerous and foolish not to mention disrectful to other bathers. Onsen is for sitting and relaxing and revitilising your body, an old japanese tradition that should be respected. If in doubt, always observe and follow the 'locals' and you will feel comfortable and relaxed and enjoy.

If your hair is as clean as your body (i.e. if you've just washed it), then in what way is it disrespectful for it to touch the water?

(I suspect we're all adult enough to decide when the water's too hot, so possibly comments about the danger of that might be unneccesary.)

However I'm sure that I must have sometimes dipped my whole head in the water (i.e. including my hair) at times, just to get that all-over warmth. I wonder if people thought that was disrespectuful?

Submerging your entire head is considered bad form, but you'll see people doing it anyway. At the worst people probably just thought that you weren't aware of the proper etiquette.

Also, fully submerging your head in true onsen water carries an extremely small risk of amoeba infection so that may be another reason people avoid doing it.

If your hair is as clean as your body (i.e. if you've just washed it), then in what way is it disrespectful for it to touch the water?

I'm not positive on the reason, but I suspect its to minimize loose hairs from being released into the water. Many many public pools require swim caps for this very reason.

Thanks, yllwsmrf

It seems that there's more "custom" to it than logic (like so many things in life, in all countries).

Not wanting to be too graphic, given that the rest of my (clean) body hair is OK in the onsen, it seems odd that the hair on my head (cleaned at the same time) would somehow be different.

Since when do people do things based on logic ;)

Not wanting to be too graphic, given that the rest of my (clean) body hair is OK in the onsen, it seems odd that the hair on my head (cleaned at the same time) would somehow be different.

I don't think it has anything to do with how clean said hair is. But if you want a more "logical" explanation, I think its preferred if all hair could be kept out of the bath, but the logistics of it requires that an exception be made for body hair.

Phew! As long as I don't have to shave my legs and have my chest waxed ;0)

I love onsen, but there are limits!