Takayu Onsen, Kaminomori, the highest point of the village Onsen hotel

Kagetsu Highland Hotel

花月ハイランドホテル

Does Kagetsu Highland Hotel allow tattoos? Yes!

Nothing to cover

The highest hotel in Takayu, looking west to the Azuma and Adatara ranges and east over the lights of Fukushima, with an open-air bath the hotel calls its sky bath.

Tattoos are allowed in the large bath and the open-air bath, and the Japanese FAQ says so plainly. The hotel reserves the right to step in over heavy work it judges intimidating or over bad manners. Its English page still carries an older line asking tattooed guests to stay out of the public baths, so if staff point to it, the Japanese FAQ is the current answer; two private open-air baths are the fallback.

Where it is

Sendai is the door to all of these. Akiu is 43 minutes on one bus from the station, with no change. Nyuto is the Komachi, JR’s Shinkansen across to Akita, as far as Tazawako, then a bus of 47 minutes, about 2 h 20 in all. Naruko is twelve minutes on the Shinkansen to Furukawa and three quarters of an hour up the Rikuu East line. Zao is the Senzan line rapid over the mountains to Yamagata, then a bus of 37 minutes up to the ski village. Hanamaki is the Yamabiko to Kitakami, one stop on the local line and a bus, about 2 h 10. Higashiyama is the long one: the Shinkansen to Koriyama, the Ban-etsu West line over to Aizu-Wakamatsu and the loop bus, nearly four hours with the waits, and easier from Tokyo. Kagetsu Highland Hotel · map data © OpenStreetMap contributors · open in Google Maps

What happens when you arrive

Check in and go to the bath. There is no seal to buy and nothing to declare.

How we know

Confirmed from official site (kagetsu.net/faq/); the English page kagetsu.net/lg_en/ contradicts it with “As a general rule, guests with tattoos are asked to refrain from using the public baths. Private baths are available.”

Read on: kagetsu.net/faq/

はい、当館ではタトゥー・刺青のあるお客様も大浴場・露天風呂をご利用いただけます。ただし、他のお客様に威圧感を与えてしまうような過度な彫り物がある場合や、入浴マナー（脱衣所や浴槽内での振る舞い）をお守りいただけない場合は、お声をかけさせていただく、あるいはご利用をお断りすることがございます。

The operator’s own wording on that page. Nothing here needs showing at a desk. If anyone does ask, show them this. It is the operator’s own wording.

Best for: Open-air bathing with a tattoo and the Azuma range filling the view

Large bath Yama-no-yu, open 24 hours, and open-air bath Mori-no-yu. Two private open-air baths, Himesayuri: 1,650 yen for guests, 2,200 yen for day visitors, 50 minutes, 15:00–23:00 and 06:00–09:00, booked by phone or at check-in, first come first served. Day bathing 11:00–21:00 by the FAQ, adults 1,100 yen on weekdays and 1,300 yen on weekends and holidays. Free bus for overnight guests from JR Fukushima Station west exit bays 8 or 9 at 15:00, back at 10:00, by reservation. Free parking for 100 cars.

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