News Zama sento closing due to customer harassment

thomas

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Kame no Yu (亀の湯) bathhouse in Zama, Kanagawa, a community staple for over half a century, will close its doors later this month. The decision follows customer harassment and other disruptive conduct, with the proprietor stating that he had "reached breaking point".


亀の湯@座間

Kame no Yu bathhouse in Zama, Kanagawa

Established in 1967, the facility is currently the city's only "sento" public bath. Located in a residential area about a 15-minute walk from Sagamihara Station on the Odakyu Line, the bathhouse has been popular for its hot water -- well water boiled with firewood -- that is said to warm your body from deep inside and make it hard to feel chilly afterwards even in cold months. It has also offered a reserved service for private bathing and held a "yuzu-yu" event, filling the bathtubs with yuzu citrus on the winter solstice every year. Over the past few years, however, the facility has apparently been plagued by customer harassment, including theft and destruction of equipment and unreasonable language and behaviour. Furthermore, some customers violated parking lot rules, used saunas without paying fees, or even illegally dumped garbage and home furniture.




 
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