Bathroom, oh bathroom, where can you be? I've been out all day and really must pee. Hark! I've spotted it, to the right over there. I truly must hurry, there's no time to spare. Upon entering the room, I sprint to the stall, to find the porcelain throne is not there at all. Instead on the ground, what do I find? But a porcelain hole. A toilet redefined. Some people say this is better; that it's cleaner, and good posture But to me it's a pain, hard to aim, and takes longer If you manage your business without peeing on yourself Then good for you! Truly cleaner and a workout For those of you less lucky, leave the stall quickly, head to the sink But what do you find there? Just water and a mirror, which really does stink There's no soap, no paper towels, no dryers, no nothing Lesson be learned, bathrooms in stations aren't worth trusting. Thank you! I just felt like writing a poem, no matter how silly. This is one possible situation that you can find yourself in when trying to go to the bathroom in Tokyo, but I've found there is such a ridiculously huge variance between different places, that I truly don't know what to expect anymore. On campus the bathrooms usually have one squatty potty with the rest being normal toilets, some sinks, and soap. In certain buildings, they go above and beyond to give you toilets with options (like a bidet and shower functions, a de-stinkifier, flushing noises to drown out any flatulence or other unmentionable bathroom sounds, a seat warmer, a help button, and many more. Not all of these are found on every high tech toilet, and I am positive there are some features that I haven't seen yet but still exist.) and hand dryers as well. The point is, when walking into a Japanese bathroom, you really have no clue what you are getting yourself into. To be safe, I've been told to walk around with a pack of tissues JUST IN CASE they don't even have toilet paper, but I have yet to see that happen. I would however suggest carrying around a handkerchief. It is very nice to have when there are no paper towels or dryers. BTW this is a post dedicated to Paupo, my grandpa. He always told me about the bathroom in this restaurant in Ohio that had a fancy toilet, so I just wanted to let him know that in Japan, you can indeed find a treasure trove of such places. Paupo, you should visit me in Japan just for the bathrooms! I know most people may not care to see pictures of toilets and their features, but if that statement doesn't describe you, then please enjoy these pictures that I've taken in some of the bathrooms that I've encountered. There's just so many things wrong with this picture... First of all, in what world should the button to flush a toilet be next to an emergency help button? What if you are in a hurry and you don't look properly??? That almost feels like putting the "self-destruct" button next to an intercom.... Secondly, I can't possibly imagine what you would need to call for help for while sitting on the toilet. Part of me wants to press it just so I can ask the response team what sort of emergency they are expecting. Do a lot of Japanese people have heart attacks while in the bathroom or something??? Looks pretty interesting, right? Basically, face towards the the arch (on the left) and squat down with your feet on either side of it. The toilet paper can go directly into it as far as I know and then you still have to flush it just like a regular toilet. If you actually want to try one of these, which I'll admit I did want to just for kicks and giggles, then they can be found at most train stations. Sometimes, they are even the only option! I also saw them at the airport. It's a great way to stretch your legs after a long flight, don't you think!? Somehow, when a toilet comes with directions I can't help but wonder if it isn't too complicated... This was on the wall of the bathroom in my hotel room when I first came to Japan. Below is a picture of what the control panel actually looked like. They are so nice to write everything in both English and Japanese! I've seen it both ways, but even when it's in Japanese it's pretty much self-explanatory from the pictures.
2 Comments
Aunt Toots
10/21/2017 08:41:26 am
I know the feeling of looking for a bathroom all day in a foreign country! I've also always wanted to try one of those fancy Japanese toilets. Have you seen one with a drier built in yet? You get a wash & dry and no need for toilet paper!!
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Sarah
10/22/2017 08:09:01 am
Yes! I have! Personally, I feel like it can't remove the need for toilet paper, especially if you use it after the shower function. But, how nice would that be if it really could?
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AuthorThe name's Sarah. From September, 2017 to June, 2018 I will be your guide through life as an exchange student in Tokyo. (Some guide I am. It's like I just left you in the middle of nowhere so that I could go off on my own adventures!) Archives
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