Bathhouse in the Pit in the Chikuho Region during the Meiji Era (1868-1912)
1974
Meiji, Chikuho, Yokujo
[Bathhouse in the Pit in the Chikuho Region during the Meiji Era (1868-1912)]
(Size Unidentified) Painting in Watercolors and Ink
Text at the Top Right
Men and women bathed together in the bathhouse in the pit at that time. Since the water used there was pumped up from the pit, it included cylinder oil for steam-engine pumps as well as iron. It was slightly metallic and sticky, so the bathers could not fully clean their bodies with the water. Some sakiyamas (hewers) who were dirty with black coal dust jumped into the bathtub without washing their buttocks beforehand and some used soap in the tub. That is why by evening the water in the tub became as dark as indigo in a jar. A piece of soap cost 1 sen (0.01 yen) to 3 sen at first and 3 sen to 5 sen later. The soap was made of lime and soda and miners' eyes burned and became bloodshot when they were exposed to drops of water in the tub. Their Japanese towels had a lot of black spots because they cleaned their nostrils with these which were wholly stained grey. A towel cost 3 sen at first and 5 sen later.
Text at the Top Left
Men and women at some small-scale coal pits still bathed together even in the Showa era (1926-1989) after World War II. The bathhouse in such a pit had separate entrances for men and women. However, it had only one bathtub partitioned off with a wooden screen.
The bottom of the tub was on the same level as the ground, and its high edge made it difficult for children to enter.
In winter, miners coming later for bathing would ask the bath attendant to add cold water into the tub and lower the water temperature because they felt it too hot. However, other bathers asked him to raise the water temperature because they felt it too cold.
1994, Yamamoto Sakubei
Lettering on the Poster on the Wall
Warning
Using soap, singing and speaking loudly in the bathtub are prohibited.
Director
Akaguro Coal Pit
Translation Assisted by Mr. Nathan Johndro
<<Last 10 items 31 | 32 | 33｜
33／33