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.
江戸時代には町にたくさんの湯屋があった。
In the Edo period, there were many public bathhouses in town.
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.
そのお寺の湯屋は参拝者も利用できる。
The temple's bath building can also be used by worshippers.
近所の湯屋は朝早くから開いている。
The neighborhood bathhouse opens early in the morning.
風呂屋 is a colloquial term for a public bathhouse, similar to 銭湯 but more casual.
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.