Japan has a bathroom fetish

Japanese are obsessed with their bathrooms. Obsessed may not be the right word. They are very modest about the bathroom use. Not sure whether this is an extension of their technological focus, or a response to western toilets being forced on them, or a very high standard of cleanliness, or whether living in such tight quarters has necessitated extensive bathroom etiquette.

Japanese traditionally take off their shoes when entering the house and then put on "house slippers". This keeps outside dirt out of the house. (This is actually the #1 way to keep allergens, dirt, and pesticides out of our homes, and the Japanese have been doing it for hundreds of years.) They also take off their home slippers when entering the bathroom and put on special bathroom slippers. Our hotel room came with special bathroom slippers.

Once inside the bathroom, they have very strange technological toilets. Apparently, western toilets are a recent post-WWII addition to Japan. Some public bathrooms still have "Japanese-style" toilets which are actually more like urinals but placed on the ground horizontally rather than on the wall vertically. They flush, and women use toilet paper, but the idea is to sort of position yourself without sitting on anything. Women all over the world think that sitting on public toilets is nasty, so in some ways it makes sense to just avoid that gross feeling altogether, I suppose.

Most public bathrooms have western-style sit-down toilets. But almost every stall has a soap dispenser full of "toilet seat cleaner" and instructions on how to use the toilet paper and cleanser to clean the toilet.

The toilet is attached to multiple contraptions that provide a variety of bathroom conveniences. Every toilet has a seat warmer; Japanese find that cold toilet seats are very uncomfortable and so public toilets normally are pre-heated. The toilets also are designed to mask any personal toilet-using noises. Upon sitting, the sound of rushing water (or actual water rushing into the toilet) is designed to keep your own noises a secret from other public bathroom users - or, in the case of our hotel bathroom, private from other hotel room inhabitants. Many public bathrooms also have a variety of other noises available on demand from an electronic thermostat-shaped control on the side of the stall. Toilets also have a built in "bidet" which is a European bathroom appliance designed to wash your personal areas after using the toilet. (in the picture, this is translated as "shower toilet") Again, Japanese men and women seem to have an unparalleled personal desire for cleanliness. These bidet washers are in almost every public toilet. (personally, I would feel weird getting washed in that way from a public toilet...). All of this technology means a lot of controls and a lot of instructions in the bathroom. It's so confusing that often the "flusher" button has to have a HUGE sign and arrow so that westerners don't keep pushing every button in a desperate attempt to flush the toilet (or push nothing and leave a mess behind - even more scandalous in Japan than anywhere else, I'm sure).

toilet controls


directions for using the toilet controls:



Not all of the bathroom technology is related to their awkwardness of natural functions. Some of the technology is designed to save space and/or save resources (both are in high demand in this crowded country).

When this toilet fills up the tank after flushing, the clean water is first available in sink format for people to wash their hands; the 'gray' water left after washing can then be used for flushing the next time.


This sink is an amazing all-in-one combo. The faucet on the right automatically dispenses water and the faucet on the left automatically dispenses soap. The grey controls on the bottom of the sink, near the user, is an automatic hand dryer. This saves space and also keeps germ transmission low!