This is my family's washroom in Japan. My parents bought and installed it around 24 years ago. It is a very old type of Washlet, but it still works very well. The key point is over the tank. We can save a lot of water. (I heard that new one has more various functions such as massage, self-cleaning, automatic open and close lid functions... and so on. I would like to use a massage function if I have a chance.)
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(Dec.2008)
(Dec.2008)This is also a public washroom. Many public washrooms provides a paper sheet cover.
This is a traditional style of Japanese toilet. We have to squat when.... We can still see this type of toilets all over the places in Japan. I have lived in Canada for 10 years, so, I found that it is difficult to use this type toilet now. Actually, this type of toilet is very good to train our knees and legs. I would like to introduce Japanese elderly people to you. Their legs and knees are very strong because they squat a lot in their life style. We can see many elderly people (around 80 years old) ride a bicycle to go shopping in Japan.
お手洗い（おてあらい）Washroom/Bathroom
ウォッシュレット Washlet
シャワートイレ Shower Toile
音姫（おとひめ）Sound Princess
トイレットペーパー Toilet Paper
This is my speech when I participated in a humorous speech contest in Toastmasters.
The Title - "Flash with Success"
A washroom is a secret and mysterious place. I’ve learned about Canada through using Canadian washrooms. Canadian toilet culture is like Canadian culture in general: very open. The toilet stall doors in public washrooms are open from top to bottom and there are gaps between the door and the frame. I’m afraid of someone peeping at what I am doing. Good evening Toastmasters. Today, I will tell you about the three secrets of the Japanese toilet culture.
The first secret! The keyword is SIT DOWN! When Japanese people do their business, we must sit down—and I did say sit—. Probably it would be difficult for you because you would need to concentrate. If you lost your concentration, you might miss the target. For Japanese, squatting is not a problem because we have been trained since we were small children. Me? I am gooooood! Actually, maybe I lost my toilet technique because I’ve lived in Canada since 1999. Now, I’m afraid of going back to Japan.
The second secret! The keyword is BE DIESCRETE. For Japanese women, it’s very shameful to make any noise on the toilet in public washrooms. How do we avoid making these sounds? We flush the toilet while we are doing our business. If woman had to be in a stall for a long time, she would have to flush many times. Using so much water costs a lot, so some public bathrooms have a special machine that makes a flush sound. This machine is called Otohime which means SOUND PRINCESS. However, this machine cannot make the exact same sound of flushing water. Many women feel embarrassed when they use a Sound Princess, so they do still flush. Last summer, I went back to Japan and used a public washroom. Holly Smoke! I forgot to flush during doing! … I lost my Japanese shyness. By the way, I’ve learned from Canada which told me each person makes different noise.
The third secret! The keyword is WASH! Japanese likes high-technology not only for cameras but also for toilets. Today, most of Japanese people use high-tech toilets, called Wash-let, and they are very nice. These high-tech toilets have special functions. First, the toilet seats can be warmed, so even on a cold day, it is comfortable to go to the washroom. Second, when we press a button, a nozzle emerges and it sprays water with which we wash our private parts. We can adjust the strength, temperature, and position of the water jet. Third, after the washing, when we press another button, air comes out to dry our private parts. These functions are very convenient for people who are struggling with haemorrhoids. Oh… are you struggling with…you should import the Washlet from Japan. Also this Washlet provides a very well-regulated schedule to many Japanese. If people felt constipated, the Washlet encourages their movement. After that, the water completely cleans their private parts. Many Japanese appreciate the Washlet; they feel fresh every day. The Washlet supports the Japanese hard working and methodical culture.
Japanese toilet culture is very different from that of Canada. Three key words, sit down, be discrete, and wash describes the secret and pleasant Japanese toilet culture. If you have a chance to go to Japan, please check our bathroom behaviour carefully.
I was talking to Mike Fardy last night and he said that he saw squatting toilets while he was in Russia. Many European and Asian countries use them. I remember when I was preparing to go to Greece when I was in grade 11, people were freaking out at the idea of having to use them, but they're more sanitary and they are good for your body.
ReplyDeleteAlso, he mentioned that in Germany they had really high-tech public bathrooms that were self-cleaning, that you had to pay for. And also, in Russia, the toilet and washroom/bathroom are separate like in Japan.
Hi, John. Thanks for your comment and information. Each country has a different toilet culture. I am interested in being an academic researcher who studies toilet environment.
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