- A Japanese guesthouse owner has apologized for rarely changing the water in a hot tub, according to CNN.
- The water in the bath should have been changed weekly according to local regulations.
- The legionella bacteria was detected in the bath at 3,700 times the permitted level, CNN reported.
A Japanese hotel owner has apologized for only changing the water in a hot tub twice a year instead of once a week.
The traditional Japanese bath known as an onsen was found to contain potentially deadly bacteria during a health inspection. CNN partner TV Asahi reported that.
Legionella bacteria was found in the Japanese bath at 3,700 times the allowable level, the news outlet reported. According to the report, the bath water, which comes from volcanically heated hot springs, should have been changed weekly to meet local regulations.
Spa baths are popular in the country, and some even offer visitors the chance to do just that bathe in red wine.
The bacteria can cause a serious form of pneumonia, Legionnaires’ disease, and can also lead to the less severe Pontiac fever, according to the CDC. The baths were temporarily closed last year after the bacteria was discovered, but have since reopened, CNN reported.
Makoto Yamada, the president of the company that owns Daimaru Besso inn in Chikushino, apologized for the incident at a press conference, according to the report.
Yamada told the press conference: “I was not aware of the law myself and thought that the legionella bacteria was a very common bacteria that could be found everywhere, and also that it was safe because the big pools were free-flowing so the water was quite was refreshed. often.”
He said hotel staff did not add chlorine to the water for hygiene reasons “because we selfishly disliked the smell of chlorine.”
Representatives from the Daimaru Besso inn did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
In the months before the pandemic started, Japan had invested heavily in developing luxury hotels take advantage of a tourism boom. In 2022, business travel demand was still weak compared to tourism, That reports airline Star Flyer.
