After discovering potentially deadly bacteria in the spa bath, the head of a 158-year-old Japanese inn has expressed regret for only changing the water twice a year.
A health examination of the onsen, a traditional Japanese bath utilizing water from volcanically heated hot springs, at the Daimaru Besso inn in Chikushino, Fukuoka Prefecture, detected legionella bacteria at 3,700 times the allowed level, as reported by Japanese media TV Asahi.
According to local regulations, the water in the onsen needed to be renewed weekly. However, the hotel management acknowledged that it was only changed semi-annually.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Makoto Yamada, the president of the company owning the ryokan (traditional guesthouse), deeply bowed and conveyed his remorse for the lack of action, stating, “I am very sorry.”
Legionella bacteria, found in the spa bath, can lead to Legionnaires’ disease, a severe form of pneumonia. It can be contracted by inhaling tiny water droplets containing the bacteria, resulting in lung infection that can be treated with antibiotics.
The bacteria may occur in various water systems such as shower heads, hot tubs, cooling towers, and plumbing systems in large buildings.
Yamada confessed unawareness of the importance of water change, stating, “I was not aware of the law myself and thought that legionella bacteria was a common bacterium that could be found anywhere and also that it was safe because the large baths were free-flowing so the water was changed quite often.”
Although the baths were temporarily closed after detecting the bacteria last year, they have since resumed full operation. Yamada even admitted to using the baths himself post the bacteria detection.
The ryokan’s website praises the Futsukaichi Onsen’s water for its therapeutic properties, claiming benefits for various ailments.
Yamada also admitted to negligence in chlorine addition to the water for hygiene due to personal aversion to its smell.
