Japan: Inn “rarely” renewed water in hot springs – Bacteria grew 3,700 above normal

An uproar has broken out in Japanas it became known that in a historical inn of the country the waters at thermal springs they are renewed twice a year, resulting in bacteria growing more than 3,700 times above the permitted limit.

Local regulations require weekly renewal of the water in which men and women bathe separately, traditionally naked, after showering beforehand.

Makoto Yamada, president of the company that runs the nearly 160-year-old inn, said the facility neglected to keep the water clean by not using enough chlorine.

The manager “didn’t like the smell” of the chemical, he told a news conference.

“This was a self-serving motive,” Yamada added, describing the negligence as “a misconduct that completely neglected the health of our customers.”

Relaxation at Daimaru Besso Inn, where Japanese Emperor Hirohito once stayed, started around December 2019.

Since then, staff at the facility located in Fukuoka (southwest Japan) have become more careless as the number of customers has decreased during the Covid-19 pandemic, Yamada added.

Even before the scandal became public, there were already signs of concern.

Last year, an inspection by the authorities found double the amount of Legionella bacteria than is allowed in the water of the guesthouse’s thermal baths.

The hostel’s management at the time had “falsified documents to make sure the chlorine was added correctly,” Yamada admitted. In a subsequent investigation, conducted by the health authorities, it was found that the percentage of the bacteria was 3,700 times higher than the permissible limit.

The bacteria, which can cause lung infections, reportedly sickened a guest staying at several guesthouses, including Daimaru Besso.