It is well known that the Japanese love to unwind in hot baths, but what perhaps is not so well known is that about 14,000 people die each year from taking them.
The death toll tends to rise in the winter, and many of the victims are elderly. Some physicians have listed the cause of death as heart attacks or strokes, but the exact reason remains unclear.
Heatstroke can indeed occur when taking hot baths, according to Shingo Hori, a Keio University assistant professor who specializes in emergency medicine.