A century-old public bath prepares swimming pools for earthquakes

KYOTO – Twenty men and women were bathing or relaxing in the sauna in a century-old public bath here one recent evening – until they suddenly found themselves in complete darkness.

An employee walked in next to the men and urged the 10 or so bathers to leave quickly.

“The building may collapse, so put on your evacuation clothes and slippers and get out immediately,” he shouted through a megaphone. “Your belongings will be taken by the staff later.”

However, there was no earthquake, and Sauna no Umeyu, a wooden structure believed to have been built at least 120 years ago, was not about to collapse.

The bathing area becomes dark during an earthquake evacuation exercise at Sauna no Umyo in Kyoto, making it difficult for participants to monitor their steps when the emergency lights are also turned off. (Toshiyuki Hayashi)

Everyone there was volunteering for a preparation exercise of what to do if they found themselves in the strange, dangerous, and embarrassing situation of taking a shower in a public bath when an earthquake hits and the power goes out.

The participants had applied after learning about the Oct. 27 exercise, designed to simulate what would happen during an earthquake of magnitude 5 lower on a Japanese scale of 7, through banners announcing the event and social media.

The males hurried to the changing area, paying attention to the small gaps and being wary of the wet, slippery floor.

But as soon as they got to their lockers, they just stood there helplessly. They couldn’t see the numbers to unlock them.

The bathroom was ready for that. Regular customers put boxes of spare T-shirts and shorts on the benches for the other participants to wear. Since there was no time to dry, the participants were still dripping wet when they put on spare clothes.

The men put on slippers and went out. Participants wore an informal “yukata” kimono sewn with an elastic band at the waist.

Those who signed up found it harder than expected.

“It’s hard to walk around in the dark,” said a 51-year-old man who joined the exercises with his child. “It might be best to go out naked first and put something on the outside later. There were aspects of this that I hadn’t considered until I tried them.”

Popular local playgrounds for generations

Umeyu, which is especially popular with young people, is a staple at Shimogyo Ward in Kyoto. The hammam is considered a “sacred site” among sauna enthusiasts, especially after it was used as a location in a TV drama series.

No one knows for sure exactly how old it is, but the facility was founded sometime during the Meiji era (1868-1912).

Up to 400 people bathe in Umeå daily, and up to 50 people are inside the building during peak hours — plenty of people to worry about in case of disaster. Many of the customers in the evening are for the first time.

Sets of T-shirts, shorts, and slippers are placed in boxes at the men’s side of Sauna no Umeyu in Kyoto. (Toshiyuki Hayashi)

Sakura Endo, 27, who has worked in a bathroom for three years, came up with the idea to train after she was hit by a magnitude 3 earthquake when she was sitting at the reception desk last year.

She remembers hearing the old slamming of glass doors.

“I was amazed,” she said, “and I couldn’t do anything.” “I started thinking about what we should do as an operator in the event of a much larger earthquake.”

When tremors hit, the Sento public baths are in danger of collapsing and fires can start in the boiler room. Swimmers can also suffer injuries from glass shards and falling lights.

The Disaster Management Handbook compiled for industry members includes complex procedures. Endo read an article about an evacuation exercise that took place in the bathroom, but the participants were wearing clothes.

“I began to compile a proper manual for this facility and think about procedures to prepare for a situation where our clients would be naked and wet,” she said.

Because of the potential danger that the bathhouse might collapse in a serious earthquake, the operator decided to prioritize evacuating bathers from the building.

Omiyo now conducts earthquake evacuation drills once every two months, following the manual that requires staff to direct bathers with instructions, among other things.

Involving swimmers in a disaster scenario is also designed to encourage regulars to talk to other customers in the event of an emergency.

“We want to place importance on safety and security, and ensure that our (brand) efforts are not seen as superficial and hollow,” said Endo. “Disaster preparedness measures won’t bring instant dividends, but I think it will help sento be passed down through future generations.”

Sources 1/ https://Google.com/ 2/ https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14773720 The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article

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