Japanese Toilets

We were at a pre-trip meeting when one of the students asked about toilets in Japan. Our coordinator, Robert, indicated this would not be a problem. That there was such a thing called a "squat toilet" but we would only encounter it as a park or something like that. He was not to concerned. I thought about my previous time in Japan and wasn't worried either. I have a vague recollection of hearing of the squat toilet in the subway but I think I just avoided using it and had no problems.

Well, we were wrong. We first encountered a Japanese style toilet on 7.12 at our first school visit. We were taking a break so I was with some of the girls as we went into the girl's restroom. I think we were all a little shocked to see the narrow white porcelain set into the floor. Of course I'm the chaperon so while some of the girls chose not to use the toilet I thought it was my responsibility to model positive behavior so I went for it. But nerves got the best of me and I couldn't go.

On 7.13 we went to use the restroom while at Tokai University and there again was the Japanese toilets. It was clear most of the girls did not see this toilet as an option and simply would not use it. I however was determined to use this toilet. Success!

While I was successful, this was not something I looked to do again. I found the Japanese toilet to be a sort of nemesis on my trip. As I would walk into a restroom somewhere, I found myself hoping and praying "Please let there be Western toilets". Big tourist sites like the zoo and mall had both Japanese and Western which was a great relief. I did on one occasion pass on a Japanese toilet at a restaurant with my host sister knowing we would soon be home. I had to use it only one other time on 7.19 while traveling around Hokkaido with my host family. Even then the toilet was a set in a little platform so it was a little easier.

My fascination with Japanese toilets extends to the Western style toilets as well. These toilets are like a toilet we would find in America but on steroids. The furthest toilet technology I've seen in America is the automatic flush in public toilets. The Japanese have far surpassed us in this area.

At both my host families I noted the square on the wall that controlled the different functions of the toilet. Different buttons for flushing, buttons for the bidet, and a couple other buttons I didn't know what they did. I didn't dare push them. The toilet seats heated up when you sat on it and at my second host family there toilet had an automatic flush.

If toilets in the homes weren't interesting enough, I was even more fascinated with public toilets. They had even more functionality. They had a button labeled "powerful deodorizer" and some would make this fake flushing noise whenever you started using it. My initial reaction to the toilets was "this is so weird". But ultimately I became amused and impressed. Now I'm just wondering when toilet technology in America will advance?