Kumamoto City izakaya began flooding with hot, sulfur-smelling water immediately after quake.

The earthquake that occurred in Kumamoto Prefecture on July 28 caused extensive damage to the region, and among those affected was Mugi Usagi, an restaurant in the Anseimachi neighborhood of Kumamoto City’s Chuo Ward. Mugu Usagi is an izakaya, a kind of Japanese pub specializing in small dishes meant to be paired with beer, sake, or cocktails, but it looks like the location might have one more desirous commodity, as apparently the restaurant’s building sits on top of a previously undiscovered hot spring.

Shortly after the earthquake hit, water began flooding the restaurant’s interior. The source of liquid, though, wasn’t a broken water pipe, as it was instead coming up through the floor of the restaurant’s storeroom.

▼ The flooded Mugi Usagi can be seen at the point queued in the video below.

The water was hot to the touch, so much so that steam began to fill the room. Again, though, the water wasn’t coming from a buster pipe or water heater, and what’s more, it had a distinctly sulfurous aroma, and after repair workers came in to survey the damage, they informed the restaurant’s owner that it was likely hot spring water that was flooding the place.

Even with as much as Japan loves a nice hot bath, there are still hot springs in the country that have remained hidden for many years. Currently, Mugi Usagi’s ownership is focused on repairing the restaurant and getting back to serving diners and drinkers, but with the proven popularity of bathhouses in urban areas, it wouldn’t be a surprise if someone is looking into whether it’d be viable to add one to the building.

Source: KAB Online via Itai News, TV Asahi
Top image: Pakutaso
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