Middle East Conflict, Soaring Energy Costs Further Decline Japan's Public Bathhouses

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(Nagoya, April 25, Central News Agency comprehensive foreign report) Interruption of crude oil supply in the Middle East has led to soaring energy costs, and Japan's public bathhouse industry is in distress. This pressure is likely to lead to a further decline of traditional bathhouses, which are already gradually fading, with some operators forced to shorten operating hours or even permanently close.

According to Kyodo News, Japan's public bathhouses have long faced the problems of decreasing customers and aging operators with no successors. Now, 'sento' are further exacerbated by soaring oil prices. Due to regulated fees, operators find it difficult to pass on rising costs to customers. Public bathhouses are called 'sento' in Japan.

Since late March, 'Ikesu Onsen,' a family-run bathhouse founded in 1919 in Tsushima City, Aichi Prefecture in central Japan, has been forced to delay its opening by an hour due to unstable fuel supply, with monthly deliveries reduced by about one metric ton. This has also led to a decrease of about 10 customers per day.

Atsuko Matsui, 57, who is involved in the management, said: "This is a major blow. If the supplier says, 'This is the price and quantity,' we have no choice but to accept it."

The Middle East crisis, triggered by attacks from the United States and Israel on Iran, has affected oil tanker transportation through the Strait of Hormuz, pushing up international oil prices, and Japan's fuel supply is similarly impacted.

This impact has spread throughout Japan. At 'Katsuragi Onsen' in Aomori City, northeastern Japan, the operator decided to close at the end of May because rising fuel prices exacerbated the burden of repairing already aging bathhouse facilities.

Masayoshi Yamaguchi, 57, the person in charge of the bathhouse, said: "Fuel prices are rising every week, and there are no signs of stabilization. Even though we have many customers, we simply cannot maintain operations like this."

According to the National Federation of Public Bathhouse Business Cooperatives, about 30% of Japan's sento use fuel oil boilers. The total number of public bathhouses nationwide is now about 1/12 of its peak nearly 60 years ago.

After World War II, anti-inflation control measures were implemented, and prefectural governors set maximum fees for sento, making it almost impossible for operators to adjust prices on their own. (Compiler: Ho Hung-ju) 1150425

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