Japanese toilets

06/02/2002 English German

Edition # 40
San Francisco, 06-02-2002

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Japanese toilets

Angelika Regarding toilets, Japan has a lot to offer. First, there are the traditional ones, which are usually found in public restrooms: a toilet set into the floor that looks like an oversized slipper. You squat over it. But don't worry: no one watches you during this balancing act. There are stall doors you can close.

Figure [1]: Traditional Japanese toilet

On the other hand, there are the state-of-the-art variants: the obligatory bidet, heated toilet seats, and automatic water sounds to drown out unpleasant noises. In Japan, one should be cautious of this technical frippery and avoid pressing random buttons on the toilet if you want to avoid taking an unexpected shower. In our traditional inn (Ryokan), we had one of these hyper-modern devices. The toilet had a control panel with various push and turn buttons, which activated different bidet functions. You could adjust the water temperature, water pressure, and spray technique. Despite all the warnings, we naturally tried out every conceivable button. And lo and behold, there was the consequence of such reckless behavior when I couldn't manage to stop the bidet water jet. Fortunately, Michael already knew the button to turn it off which was naturally only labeled in Japanese.