The Japanese Way

Many people have heard stories about Japanese toilets, and so in this post I wanted to expand a little more on them as well as other typical/unique Japanese...things.

Okay, so I know that before coming to Japan I was warned that there would be squat toilets and also strange high tech toilets that would spray you after going to the bathroom. I don't know which one I was more wary of encountering. Squat toilets did not seem very enticing to me, even though I have had experience with them before from camping. Toilets that would spray me with water sounded a little more creepy!!!!!! Probably because I have never used one, and it just plain seems a little weird. I wasn't sure how accurate these stories would be. I thought it would be a lot more likely to encounter the "super toilets" than the squat toilets since Japan and especially the part of Japan I am in is really modern.

So here is the truth of it all (so far as I know from my own observation anyway).

Squat toilets are present EVERYWHERE! There was one in Narita airport, you'll find at least one in every bathroom in shopping malls, and in the restrooms of private companies. On my campus there are actually more squat toilets than regular toilets!!!!
When using the squat toilet you are supposed to face towards the flusher(?. I have not used a squat toilet yet. But maybe I will try it sometime....maybe.




Thankfully, in my homestay and I think in most Japanese homes they do not use squat toilets. Instead they seem to use the "super toilets". And the superness of these toilets vary depends on what type of super toilet the family decided to buy. In my current homestay we have a pretty decent "super toilet". Once you enter the bathroom the heater turns on automatically, so if it is a cold chilly night you will not freeze too much while taking care of business. (not a feature of the super toilet, but still a nice touch) The toilet seat is also heated, but it is heated always to ensure that you do not need to sit on a cold toilet. (Now when I use plain public bathrooms I am really not used to the cold toilet seat and actually find it really uncomfortable.)


Homestay bathroom number 1.

Next to the toilet there is a small control panel which offers a variety of additional toiletry options. Option one is called　おしり (oshiri). Which i discovered (thanks to wikipedia, not actual use of it) that if pressed will spray you down after you use the toilet. It comes in a variety of settings, small spray, medium spray, and large spray. My host mom warned me that if I decide to use it I should set it on small, because even that setting is fairly strong. (ugh) Another option is the bidet, again thanks to wikipedia I know it's function. The bidet serves the exact same function as the oshiri and comes in the same varying spray pressures, except it is only used by women. I do not think I will use either of these bathroom functions.


The control panel for our toilet.

The blue button with the chinese/kanji that reads 小 and 大 can control the strength of the toilet flush. 小 for a small flush or 大 for a big flush. However, in my homestay it is not necessary to use this button because our toilet flushes automatically when done using the toilet.



Other strange toilet functions in Japan.
Some public toilets have a flushing noise option. At first I didn't really understand what it was for, but now I realize that you would press it to cover up the sound of using the restroom. In some bathrooms it is a button you can press, the bathrooms at our campus automatically make the flushing noise upon entering the stall. Some personal home toilets come with a massage option. Sounds a little strange/creepy.

Entering a Japanese House.
Uchi/Soto

Ok, so last semester Professor McConnell had taught the Japanese culture class about how there is a big distinction between Uchi and Soto (Inside and Outside respectively). In Japanese elementary schools there are different slippers to be worn inside than the ones worn outside. There is a similar distinction when entering a Japanese house. In Japan and Hawaii it is customary to remove your footwear upon entering the house. However, in Japan there is a special way of doing this.





In the above photos you can tell there is a small step/stoop which separates the Uchi and Soto. It is important to remove your shoes before crossing over to the Uchi. Once you remove your foot from the shoe/slipper/etc it is important to NOT put your foot down on the Soto side. Also, it is customary for the shoes to point out, so many Japanese tend to step into the house backwards. I made a simple and short video showing the do's and dont's of entering and leaving the house to give you a better idea.








Another interesting Japanese thing I wanted to share about are the vending machines. Check it out!

A beer vending machine. Which was out of order at the time.

And


A cigarette vending machine and to all you smokers back home, check the price.



About $3.50 for a pack. That is やすい！


Okay, that is all for today. I need to start doing some homework.
But I will be updating very soon about the Narita drum festival LOTS OF PHOTOS!