laurainlimbo (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
laurainlimbo) wrote2006-03-08 08:11 pm
laurainlimbo) wrote2006-03-08 08:11 pm
The Temporary Expat's Guide to Japan - Chapter 1: Toilets
As promised, here is the first installment of my own little "guide" to Japan and its customs. And though there are many interesting aspects of this country and culture to discuss, I thought I would start with something that is near and dear to everyone's hearts (and no, I don't mean Hello Kitty!).
When visiting or living in a foreign country, it is possible, and even advisable, to be flexible and open-minded. I mean, you might put aside your fears and try the local cuisine (you'll try raw squid at least once won't you, just to see what it tastes like?), you might try to speak the language (even if people look at you like you are from Mars rather than from California), and you might even risk your life in one of the local taxis or buses (and if you go to Bangkok, that's exactly what you will be doing). That's what makes traveling (or experiencing another country) fun and exciting: all the new things, and all the stories that you can tell after you return to the comfort and familiarity of your own country.
But with that in mind, there is another thing that you must inevitably learn to be flexible about when traveling: the all-important commode, toilet, "john", water closet, restroom, bathroom, powder room ... (the list could go on and on). Well, whatever you choose to call it, you'll always need it, whether its in the airport, the train station, the fast food restaurant, or the outdoor national park. And of course you always hope that the commode will be a place where you can relieve yourself comfortably. Right? Well, if you come to visit Japan, you may be either pleasantly surprised, or downright disappointed (or disgusted)...
The worst experience I ever had with toilets was in Thailand. I took a tour bus out to a coconut farm, and of course after drinking so much delicious thai coffee, I had to visit the resident toilet, which was really more of an outhouse (like a port-o-potty, but not portable). Not only was it a non-flushable toilet, but I had to share the small, stuffy space with a swarm of buzzing flesh-eating giant flies. (well they really weren't flesh-eating, but at the time I was sure sweating, and it wasn't just from the heat!) I survived to tell the story, but at the time, I really would rather have died. Of course Thailand was also the place where I had to pay to use the public restroom at the train station (though I'm sure the locals didn't pay).
but I digress. So what about Japanese toilets makes them the topic of a narrative? Well, because like so many other things about Japan, there is so much contrast when it comes to your overall "commode" experience. For instance, if you use the restroom in Narita airport, you won't think its much different from any in your own country. There you will find western style toilets (that is the kind which you can actually sit down, above the ground, on a nice seat), and automatic faucets (that turn on when you put your hands under them) and heated dryers. In some nicer train stations (Tokyo or Shizuoka for example), you might even find those western toilets (though maybe only one per bathroom), and even lighted mirrors where you can stand and primp yourself just like a Japanese school girl. Now the contrast is when you visit the smaller train stations, like the ones in the towns where I've lived. When I came to Japan for the first time, it wasn't until i got to the town of Kambara (where I would be living for two years) that I actually first experienced a Japanese-style "squat" toilet. I was warned, of course. Before I came to Japan (I came here as part of the JET Programme, a government -sponsored program for teachers at public schools), we were given many orientations about life in Japan: earthquakes, food, trains, language, and of course toilets.
Now for those of you who haven't been lucky enough to experience a "squat" toilet, let me try to describe it. In the train stations and some cheaper restaurants, as well as public parks, the toilet itself is on the floor, hence you must "squat" in order to do your business. It isn't round like a regular toilet, its more oblong, like a urinal. And I'll tell you, after two years of living in Japan, and using these squat toilets on a regular basis (in my school, and in the train stations, etc), I developed some strong leg muscles. Otherwise, there is no way to get up and down - because sometimes the floors are so dirty (or wet, because the way they clean is often to just hose the bathroom down), that you don't dare put your hands anywhere but in your lap! In other situations, like for instance in the traditional Japanese "izakaya" (restaurant/pub), you will find what I call the "step-up" squat toilet. Here there is a little elevated platform on which the toilet sits, and you must step up, and then squat. Its really quite troublesome! And like I said, sometimes the public restrooms are not cleaned, and smell bad enough from more than 5 feet up - but imagine the smell if you are squatting on the floor!
And then there's the issue of washing your hands. In the nicer bathrooms, like you'll find in good restaurants, or bigger train stations, you will have heated hand dryers, and sometimes paper towels. And of course the nicer places will have toilet paper. But alas, I learned the hard way what to do in the small train station bathrooms where there is not only no toilet paper, but no hand dryers or towels. When in Japan, you will notice that people always carry both tissues, and a small towel in their bag. In the summertime, you'll need the towel not only for those occasions when you need to dry your hands, but to mop your sweat on days when its 90 degrees and 90 percent humidity. As far as tissues, there is no problem getting those: there's always annoying people handing them out at the train stations (on the tissue packages, you see, are advertisements for local businesses - Japanese people are so enterprising and smart!)
Okay - so what if you visit someone's home in Japan? Or if you decide to live in Japan? Of course most of the homes you will visit will have toilets like we have here in Masahiko's home: nice, heated toilets with tons of fancy features (the bidet, the warm air that will dry you after you rinse, etc.) and I'll tell you - in the wintertime, that heated toilet seat is a blessing! For those who live in Japan, I guess it depends on whether your apartment is old or new. My apartment in Kambara was very old, and my plumbing was a joke. But luckily someone had put a western seat cover on top of the existing squat type, so at least I could sit down properly!
Finally, as a segue to my next topic, I will mention that if you visit someone's home, you will be expected to take off your house slippers and put on special "bathroom" slippers. Of course you must know too, that in Japan (unless you are in a hotel), your toilet and bathtub/shower are always separate. The toilet in Japan is considered a dirty place (even in the home), and it must be separate from the place where you wash yourself. A separate topic would also be the "ofuro" (bath) in Japan - which is one of the biggest pleasures for people here.
I hope you enjoyed my lengthy explanation of toilets in Japan. Next time, the topic will be ... shoes and slippers.
When visiting or living in a foreign country, it is possible, and even advisable, to be flexible and open-minded. I mean, you might put aside your fears and try the local cuisine (you'll try raw squid at least once won't you, just to see what it tastes like?), you might try to speak the language (even if people look at you like you are from Mars rather than from California), and you might even risk your life in one of the local taxis or buses (and if you go to Bangkok, that's exactly what you will be doing). That's what makes traveling (or experiencing another country) fun and exciting: all the new things, and all the stories that you can tell after you return to the comfort and familiarity of your own country.
But with that in mind, there is another thing that you must inevitably learn to be flexible about when traveling: the all-important commode, toilet, "john", water closet, restroom, bathroom, powder room ... (the list could go on and on). Well, whatever you choose to call it, you'll always need it, whether its in the airport, the train station, the fast food restaurant, or the outdoor national park. And of course you always hope that the commode will be a place where you can relieve yourself comfortably. Right? Well, if you come to visit Japan, you may be either pleasantly surprised, or downright disappointed (or disgusted)...
The worst experience I ever had with toilets was in Thailand. I took a tour bus out to a coconut farm, and of course after drinking so much delicious thai coffee, I had to visit the resident toilet, which was really more of an outhouse (like a port-o-potty, but not portable). Not only was it a non-flushable toilet, but I had to share the small, stuffy space with a swarm of buzzing flesh-eating giant flies. (well they really weren't flesh-eating, but at the time I was sure sweating, and it wasn't just from the heat!) I survived to tell the story, but at the time, I really would rather have died. Of course Thailand was also the place where I had to pay to use the public restroom at the train station (though I'm sure the locals didn't pay).
but I digress. So what about Japanese toilets makes them the topic of a narrative? Well, because like so many other things about Japan, there is so much contrast when it comes to your overall "commode" experience. For instance, if you use the restroom in Narita airport, you won't think its much different from any in your own country. There you will find western style toilets (that is the kind which you can actually sit down, above the ground, on a nice seat), and automatic faucets (that turn on when you put your hands under them) and heated dryers. In some nicer train stations (Tokyo or Shizuoka for example), you might even find those western toilets (though maybe only one per bathroom), and even lighted mirrors where you can stand and primp yourself just like a Japanese school girl. Now the contrast is when you visit the smaller train stations, like the ones in the towns where I've lived. When I came to Japan for the first time, it wasn't until i got to the town of Kambara (where I would be living for two years) that I actually first experienced a Japanese-style "squat" toilet. I was warned, of course. Before I came to Japan (I came here as part of the JET Programme, a government -sponsored program for teachers at public schools), we were given many orientations about life in Japan: earthquakes, food, trains, language, and of course toilets.
Now for those of you who haven't been lucky enough to experience a "squat" toilet, let me try to describe it. In the train stations and some cheaper restaurants, as well as public parks, the toilet itself is on the floor, hence you must "squat" in order to do your business. It isn't round like a regular toilet, its more oblong, like a urinal. And I'll tell you, after two years of living in Japan, and using these squat toilets on a regular basis (in my school, and in the train stations, etc), I developed some strong leg muscles. Otherwise, there is no way to get up and down - because sometimes the floors are so dirty (or wet, because the way they clean is often to just hose the bathroom down), that you don't dare put your hands anywhere but in your lap! In other situations, like for instance in the traditional Japanese "izakaya" (restaurant/pub), you will find what I call the "step-up" squat toilet. Here there is a little elevated platform on which the toilet sits, and you must step up, and then squat. Its really quite troublesome! And like I said, sometimes the public restrooms are not cleaned, and smell bad enough from more than 5 feet up - but imagine the smell if you are squatting on the floor!
And then there's the issue of washing your hands. In the nicer bathrooms, like you'll find in good restaurants, or bigger train stations, you will have heated hand dryers, and sometimes paper towels. And of course the nicer places will have toilet paper. But alas, I learned the hard way what to do in the small train station bathrooms where there is not only no toilet paper, but no hand dryers or towels. When in Japan, you will notice that people always carry both tissues, and a small towel in their bag. In the summertime, you'll need the towel not only for those occasions when you need to dry your hands, but to mop your sweat on days when its 90 degrees and 90 percent humidity. As far as tissues, there is no problem getting those: there's always annoying people handing them out at the train stations (on the tissue packages, you see, are advertisements for local businesses - Japanese people are so enterprising and smart!)
Okay - so what if you visit someone's home in Japan? Or if you decide to live in Japan? Of course most of the homes you will visit will have toilets like we have here in Masahiko's home: nice, heated toilets with tons of fancy features (the bidet, the warm air that will dry you after you rinse, etc.) and I'll tell you - in the wintertime, that heated toilet seat is a blessing! For those who live in Japan, I guess it depends on whether your apartment is old or new. My apartment in Kambara was very old, and my plumbing was a joke. But luckily someone had put a western seat cover on top of the existing squat type, so at least I could sit down properly!
Finally, as a segue to my next topic, I will mention that if you visit someone's home, you will be expected to take off your house slippers and put on special "bathroom" slippers. Of course you must know too, that in Japan (unless you are in a hotel), your toilet and bathtub/shower are always separate. The toilet in Japan is considered a dirty place (even in the home), and it must be separate from the place where you wash yourself. A separate topic would also be the "ofuro" (bath) in Japan - which is one of the biggest pleasures for people here.
I hope you enjoyed my lengthy explanation of toilets in Japan. Next time, the topic will be ... shoes and slippers.
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do you like Japanese food at all? some of it here can be kind of risky, but most is pretty good. I do miss good old American food though - big salads, sandwiches, pizza, etc...
hope you are having a great day!
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Very cool post. I'm so glad you thought of this!
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and yes, all insects in Asia are disgusting. they are just huge! I could write a whole narrative just about the cockroaches and spiders!
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That was a great entry. I must admit, the squat type toilet sound like more than I could handle.
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thanks for your comments - Japan is indeed a place to find lots of diversity (except in the people, that is)...
hope you are having a great day!
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