Japanese hotel boss commits suicide; found out hotel’s spa bath water was changed only twice a year

When it was revealed that the hotel’s spa bath water was only changed twice a year, the Japanese hotel manager was compelled to apologize and was later discovered dead with a suicide note.

On the morning of March 11, Makoto Yamada, 70, was found on a mountain pass in the Fukuoka Prefecture city of Chikushino.

Emperor Hirohito once visited the 158-year-old, conventional inn Daimaru Besso in Chikushino, which was previously led by Mr. Yamada. Ten days before his demise on March 2, he had just left his position at the hotel.

Following an investigation in November, it was revealed that the legionella bacteria count in the bath water was 3,700 times the permitted limit. This resulted in intense scrutiny for the hotel. A serious type of pneumonia known as Legionnaires’ disease is brought on by Legionella.

In a car close to where Mr. Yamada’s body was discovered, police believe they found a suicide note.

I am very sorry, the letter purportedly read. ‘I am very sorry. I feel morally responsible for everything. Please take care of the rest.’

On March 10, Mr. Yamada was interrogated by officers for roughly six hours. The following day, he was called back in, but he did not show up at the police station.

It was discovered during the inn’s hot springs examination that the bath water was not changed weekly but rather only twice a year.

On March 8, the Fukuoka Prefecture government lodged a police report accusing the inn of breaking the Public Bath Houses Act by falsely claiming to change the bath water more frequently than it actually did.

On February 28, Mr. Yamada acknowledged, “I informed my staff it was OK not to change the bath water as fewer people were using it.”