Disclosure of orgy videos force the closure of hot springs north of Tokyo

One of the few remaining mixed bathing hot springs in Japan has been closed after videos were posted online that apparently show a group of middle-aged men taking part in an orgy with a number of young women in its therapeutic waters.

The Fudo no Yu outdoor "onsen" is one of a series of natural thermal springs that have been tamed alongside the Hoki river in the town of Shiobara , north of Tokyo. It is also considered a historical onsen as it was first used in the Meiji era, which began in the mid-1800s.

And while modern mores have all but eliminated mixed bathing in hot springs, Fudo no Yu was one of the last remaining hold-outs. Until now.

Allegations of what are being reported in the Japanese media as "lewd acts" have been trickling out for a year, with claims that the onsen's seclusion had made it a magnet for exhibitionists.

Far more damaging for the onsen, which is not staffed and relies on visitors leaving their Y200 (HK$13) payment in a box, is the emergence of video clips that apparently show a succession of orgies, according to the Tokyo Reporter, which cited the Mainichi newspaper.

There are also suggestions that the onsen was attracting peepers who would conceal themselves in the thick undergrowth that surrounds the pool.