At the free open-air bath on the riverbed of Gero Onsen in Gifu Prefecture, there have been a series of cases where people who do not follow the rules of wearing swimsuits have trouble with residents, and Gero City will ban bathing from next month and "only for footbaths" I decided to do it.
The free open-air bath "Funsen Pond" on the riverbed of the Hida River that flows through Gero City was established by Gero City about 40 years ago and has been loved by locals.
After that, it became a rule to wear a bathing suit, but since there were a series of cases where people who did not follow it and took a bath naked had trouble with nearby residents, Gero City banned bathing from December 1st. I decided to make it exclusively for footbaths.
At the entrance of the open-air bath, there is a sign that tells you that it will be exclusively for footbaths, and the city wants to make a part of it shallower in the future.
A regular man in his 60s from Gifu City said, "It's a pity that I can't take an open-air bath, but I think this is also a trend of the times."
Hiroyuki Hosoe, director of the Tourism and Commerce Department of Gero City, said, "It was a painful choice because it is also a symbol of Gero Onsen. In the future, I would like to improve it so that it will be a footbath that is loved by many people."