An association of hot springs inns in Yamaguchi Prefecture has launched a campaign calling for greater public understanding toward breast cancer survivors dressed in special bathing wear at public baths.
It is customary for users to go naked and not to take clothing or towels into the water at public baths, and some facilities enforce it among clients for hygiene reasons.
Officials at the Yuda Onsen Ryokan Association, based in the city of Yamaguchi, decided to create special posters after a woman phoned to say she had been denied entry to hot springs in the city.
"True hospitality means doing everything possible to offer services that make all customers happy," said Koji Yoshimoto, 62, head of the association's secretariat.
The poster reads: "We appreciate your understanding for women wearing special bathing wear to cover scars from mastectomy and other kinds of surgery."
The posters are now displayed at the entrances of all 26 inns that belong to the association, which approved the decision in October.
In 2011, the central government approved bathing wear for breast cancer survivors, as part of efforts to boost tourism. It called on municipalities nationwide to allow clients to use such clothes, saying they satisfy sanitation standards.
Bright Eyes, a Tokyo-based producer of bathing wear and other products for women who have had mastectomies, says similar campaigns have already been launched elsewhere, including in Nagano and Hokkaido prefectures.
The company said such moves are often prompted by breast cancer patient support groups.