As mentioned above, the Japanese public bath is one area where the uninitiated can upset regular customers by not following correct bathing etiquette designed to respect others. In particular; not washing before bathing, introducing soap into the bath water and horseplay. Sentō commonly display a poster describing bathing etiquette and procedures in Japanese or occasionally in other languages for international customers.
Some ports in Hokkaidō, frequently used by the Russian fishing fleet had problems with drunken Russian sailors misbehaving in the bath. Subsequently, a few bath houses chose not to allow foreign customers at all.
Tattoos
Some public baths have signs refusing entry for people with tattoos. However, one may be allowed in if the tattoos are not too obvious. If one ventures to a public bathing place that is publicly owned, this should not present a problem as they have a duty to let all tax-paying citizens in. The original reason behind the ban was to keep out the yakuza (officially called the "violence groups" by the police).
Sanitation
Japanese public baths have suffered infrequent outbreaks of dangerous Legionella bacteria. In order to prevent such problems, the sentō union adds chlorine to its baths. At the cost of higher levels of chlorine, bacteria outbreaks are practically non-existent at sentō facilities of today.
Pricing
Rules and pricing are regulated per prefecture based on local committees. Basic entrance fee for adults at a sentō in Tokyo is ¥450. Citing rise in oil prices as rationale, price has been raised from ¥400 (2000–2006), to ¥430 (2006–2008), and again to ¥450 (2008–present).
In Tokyo, the price for children to enter have remained unchanged: 6 to 11 year olds can enter at ¥180 each, while younger children can enter at ¥80 each. Children 10 years or younger are permitted to enter the baths of either gender. In other prefectures, the cut off age can be as high as 12 in Hokkaidō or as low as 6 in Hyōgo.
Most sentō in Tokyo also offer a premium service for which each facility sets its own price, usually around ¥1,000. This option is usually called a sauna, since at least sauna is included. At Civic Land Nissei, for example, the sauna option includes access to more than half of all the facilities available.
Larger scale public bathing facility types are called super sentō and kenkō land, both more expensive than sentō, while super sentō offer a more compromised price.
At ¥300 per adult, the cheapest prefectures to sentō baths are in Yamagata, Tokushima, Nagasaki, Ōita, and Miyazaki.
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