February 6th is a pun on "Bath Day". At public bathhouses in Kagoshima Prefecture, ``Bontan-yu'' was held in which local specialty bontan was floated in a bathtub.
``Bontan-yu'' was started by farmers in Akune City, Kagoshima Prefecture, where bontan is produced, and the prefectural public bath industry sanitation industry association in an effort to increase demand for bontan and attract more customers to public baths.
Of these, at Miyako Onsen in Kamiryuo-cho, Kagoshima City, about 20 bontans, each about 20 centimeters in diameter, were floated in a bathtub.
And regular customers warmed up while enjoying the refreshing scent that rose with the steam.
"Bontan-yu" is said to not only have a nice fragrance, but also to keep the water from cooling down easily, and although it was originally concentrated in Kagoshima prefecture, it has now spread throughout the country, with 330 public bathhouses offering it this year. .
A man in his 70s said, ``It's packed full of fruit and it's very nice. Soaking in the hot springs will relieve your fatigue.''