Police on Friday searched a century-old ryokan-style inn in southwestern Japan that had only changed its hot-spring bathwater twice a year, allowing legionella bacteria to proliferate beyond the allowable limit.
Daimaru Besso, the inn in Chikushino, Fukuoka Prefecture, is alleged to have falsely reported to the prefectural government that it had changed the bathwater in the proper manner and added chlorine, after an inspection in August last year found legionella at twice the limit.
An additional inspection in November found the bacteria level had skyrocketed to 3,700 times the limit, prompting the prefectural government to demand the inn rectify the situation. The prefecture filed a criminal complaint this week for suspected violations of the Public Bath Houses Act.
At a press conference late last month, Makoto Yamada, then head of the inn operator, admitted making a false report, saying, "I told my staff it was OK not to change the bathwater as fewer people were using it."
Yamada also admitted to instructing staff to falsify bathwater chlorination records submitted to a public health office despite knowing that doing so was against the law.
A local ordinance says recirculated bathwater that is used on a daily basis must be changed at least once a week.
The inn was founded in 1865 and its past guests include Emperor Hirohito, posthumously known as Emperor Showa, according to its website.
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Japan inn operator admits telling staff not to change hot-spring bathwater
Japan inn in hot water for bathwater bacteria 3,700 times the limit
