Japan's Toilet Culture

So you are talking about that device that emits a sound that covers the sound of somebody "doing their business."

That is something unique to Japan! When I saw it for the first time, I recalled the cultural tradition of Japanese people being rather "embarrassed" about such things.

With my family, they were rather shocked that "people would go so far as to be concerned about such things!"

It is interesting to hear how differently people react. It is said that Japanese toilet culture is rather unique. So what about as foreign nationals living in Japan? What about the nation's toilet culture do you find confusing?

Among my fellow exchange students, there are quite a few who are rather perplexed when first encountering a Japanese-style toilet. Some seem intent on squatting down in the opposite direction to the correct one, while others are unsure if they should sit down completely or not.

There are also some who seem rather surprised that you are supposed to flush the toilet paper away after you have used it. Such surprise comes from the fact that in many countries the tradition is that toilet paper is disposed of in wastepaper baskets.

Another thing to mention is the high-functionality of Japanese toilets with their range of washlet functions! I am really happy that many toilets have warmed seats, and there are others that are equipped with sensors which work to raise the cover of the toilet when you approach. There is also the automatic flushing function that works as soon as you stand up. All of these functions seem to be very kind and considerate. However, I think that some Japanese toilets come with so many function buttons that foreign visitors are often confused.

Yes, I have also heard of cases where people have spent 10 minutes looking for the flush button, or where they have mistaken the flush button for the emergency call button which has resulted in a security guard running to their assistance.

Yes, I sometimes think that it is "necessary to have access to a toilet manual!"

Really? Well, I would like to show you something interesting. There is a website that introduces how to use Japanese toilets correctly. Let me find it on my tablet and show it to you.

I see! The variety of photographs make things easy to understand.

I think it would be good to tell people who plan to visit Japan about this website because it can be rather embarrassing to ask others about how you should use a toilet.

Yes, against the backcloth of there being many more foreign visitors recently, more and more municipalities and businesses have been making efforts to both provide stickers that show how to use toilets correctly, or who are making arrangements for easily-useable toilets. In preparing for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, as one of the elements of Japan's culture of offering hospitality without reservation, the effort to convey the message that toilets in Japan are both clean and comfortable to use is gaining pace.

Yes, talking about foreign visitors who come to Japan, I believe that many of them remember the clean and comfortable nature of the nation's toilets.

Talking about such things, when I visited a department store recently I was rather surprised by the rather opulent restroom arrangements. On each of the floors, the design, the fragrances and the background music in each of the restrooms was totally different.

That sounds interesting! I would really like to take my family along to investigate that further.

Really! That almost sounds like the toilets in Japan might become a tourist spot in their own right.