low entrance door in Edo-period bathhouses
Historical term for a small, low door at the entrance of a public bathhouse (sento) during the Edo period, designed to minimize heat loss and keep the bathwater warm.
In Edo-period public bathhouses, there was a low entrance called a 'zakuroguchi'.
The zakuroguchi was made small to prevent steam from escaping.
A public bathhouse where a zakuroguchi would be found; the zakuroguchi is a specific architectural feature of such bathhouses.
Standard kanji spelling for this historical term.
Variant kanji spelling; 石榴 is an alternative way to write 柘榴 (pomegranate).
Mixed kana-kanji spelling; may be easier for learners to read.
The traditional explanation connects the bathhouse doorway with a pun on 屈み入る “enter while stooping” and 鏡鋳る “cast a mirror”; pomegranate acid was formerly used in polishing mirrors.