A commercial or communal bathhouse where people pay to bathe. Historically common before home baths became widespread; still found in some neighborhoods and hot-spring towns.
bath building (in a shrine or temple)
A building with a bath located within a shrine or temple grounds, often used for ritual purification or for the use of pilgrims and monks.
The temple's bath building can also be used by worshippers.
In the Edo period, there were many public bathhouses in town.
The neighborhood bathhouse opens early in the morning.
large bathhouse
Standard kanji spelling for a public bathhouse or bath building.
Rare spelling used specifically for a bath building within a shrine or temple precinct.
Compound of 湯 (yu, 'hot water') and 屋 (ya, 'shop' or 'building'). The spelling 斎屋 uses 斎 ('purification') for the shrine/temple sense.