Bawdy bathers lead to closure of mixed onsen in Tochigi

[yuiyoshida]

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

NASU-SHIOBARA, Tochigi Prefecture--Offensive acts by bathers, many of them filmed, have led to the indefinite closure of a mixed-gender hot spring bath at the popular Shiobara onsen resort here.

The local residents association that operates the Fudo no Yu open-air bath said it has received a number of complaints about “repeated cases of disorderly behavior by bathers.”

The association said that a dozen men and women started filming their lewd activities in the bath about a year ago.

The offenders also posted online invitations to others to join in the shenanigans, association members said.

“We are sorry, but it was breach of manners that was impossible to overlook,” said a 56-year-old senior member of the association. “We had no choice but to close the bath.”

[Nitram]

1. My experience in Japan

was that mixed-bathing sento were only used by the aged. Young women never attended such baths, for obvious reasons.