The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of room temperature on physiological and subjective responses to bathing in the elderly and the young. Dressing room temperatures were 10, 15, 20 and 25 °C (50%RH). Eight healthy young and eight elderly males stayed in the dressing room for 5 minutes, and bathed to a water temperature of 40°C for 8 minutes. After bathing, the subjects were exposed to the dressing room for 10 minutes. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), skin temperatures and thermal sensation were measured before, during and after bathing. In the dressing room, mean skin temperatures of the elderly at 10 and 15 °C were significantly higher than the young, and the elderly did not complain of the cold in the dressing room or of the hot water as much as the young did. SBPs of the elderly at 10, 15 and 20°C showed significantly greater increase before and after bathing. On the other hand, there were small increases in SBPs for the young only at 10 and 15°C. The decreases in SBP of the elderly during bathing were significantly greater than those in the young, especially in a colder dressing room. These physiological and subjective responses during winter bathing put the elderly at high risk of serious complications which lead to drowning in bathrooms. It is recommended that minimum bathroom and dressing room temperatures be higher for the elderly than the young, and between 20 and 25°C.