Toilets in Japan
There are three types of toilets in Japan. The oldest toilet, similar to a Turkish plate, is in short supply today. After World War II, Western-type flush toilets became common. Currently, toilets in Japan are more elaborate than those commonly found in other developed nations. The current status of Western-style toilets in Japan is the bidet toilet, which, as of March 2016, is installed in 81% of Japanese households, and is used in hotels and supermarkets. In Japan, these bidets are commonly called Washlets (ウォシュレット), specially produced by TOTO brand, and include many advanced features. The set of features commonly found in washlets are anal hygiene, bidet flushing, seat warming, and deodorizing. Japanese baths are well known in popular culture and are often parodied in comedy plays set in Japan.
History
During the Jōmon period (14,000 BCE to 300 BCE), settlements were built in the shape of a horseshoe, with a central plaza in the middle and rubbish heaps around the settlement. In these garbage heaps, calcified fecal remains of humans or dogs, called coprolites, were found, indicating that these middens were also used as toilets. The oldest drainage systems are from the Yayoi period (between 300 BC and 250 AD).
Those systems were used in larger facilities, probably in conjunction with toilets. During the Nara period (710 to 784), a sewage system was created in the capital Nara. It consisted of streams of water 10 to 15 cm (centimeters) wide where the user would squat with one foot on each side of the water flow. Wooden sticks (Chūgi) were used as toilet paper.
The oldest toilets in Japan also date from that time. They were built over a hole in the ground similar to a latrine.
In early times, seaweed was used for cleaning, but as early as the Edo period, it was replaced by toilet paper made of washi (traditional Japanese paper). In mountainous regions, wooden spatulas and large blades were also used.
Often, toilets were built over a stream. However, historically latrines were more common, as they were easier to build and feces could be used as fertilizer, something very important in a country where Buddhism and its associated vegetarianism reduced reliance on cattle for food.
In fact, the waste products of rich people sold for more because their diet was better. This practice became much less common after World War II, both for health reasons and because of the proliferation of fertilizers. chemicals, but you can still find land fertilized with human feces.
On the island of Okinawa, the toilet was often attached to the pigsty, and the pigs were fed human waste. This practice ceased after World War II.
During the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568 to 1600), the Taiko Sewer was built around Osaka Castle, and it still exists and works.
The use of modern sewage systems began in 1884, with the installation of the first brick and ceramic culvert in Kanda, Tokyo. More plumbing and sewage systems were installed after the Great Kantō earthquake to prevent epidemics after future earthquakes. However, sewer construction only increased after World War II to cope with the waste products of the growing population centers.
In 2000, 60% of the population was connected to the sewerage system. National Sewer Day is on September 10.
Western-style toilets and urinals began to appear in Japan around the turn of the 20th century, but their use was only It spread after World War II due to the American population.
In 1977, the sale of Western toilets exceeded that of traditional Japanese "Turkish plates." Based on Swiss and American toilets with built-in bidets, the world's largest sanitary ware manufacturing company, TOTO, introduced the Washlet in 1980.
Japanese companies today produce some of the most advanced and high-tech toilets in the world.
Terminology
Toilets and the rooms that contain them are known by various names in Japanese. The most common name is toire (トイレ, 'toire'?). Toire is an abbreviation of toiretto (トイレット), which is an incorporated word from the French word toilette. Today, both terms are used for both the toilet and the room in which it is located.
Among many other words referring to rooms or other structures that contain toilets, perhaps the most common is otearai (お手洗い, 'otearai'?) (literally, 'wash your hands'). Strictly speaking, otearai refers to the sink and is an equivalent to the euphemism used in Spanish-speaking countries.
It is also common to see keshōshitsu (化粧室, literally 'talc room'), a term translated from English.
The toilet itself is called benki (便器, 'benki& #39;?) ('excrement device'). The toilet seat is called benza (便座, 'benza'?) ('dropping seat'). A potty or high chair is called an omaru (sometimes written 御虎子).
The Japan Toilet Association celebrates an unofficial toilet day on November 10, because in Japan the numbers 11/10 (for the month and day) can be read ii-to(ire), which also means 'good toilet'.
Types of toilets
Traditional Turkish plate type toilet
The traditional Japanese-style toilet (和式, washiki) is a Turkish toilet, also known as an "Asian toilet" as other toilets similar to it are common throughout Asia. This type of toilets differs from Western ones both in construction and in the way of use.
The traditional Japanese toilet basically looks like a urinal sitting flat on the floor. Most of them in Japan are made of porcelain, although in some cases (such as trains), they are also made of stainless steel. Instead of sitting down, the user crouches over the toilet facing the hemispherical bowl, that is, towards the wall behind the toilet in the image on the right. A kind of gutter collects waste, instead of the full water bowl used in Western toilets.
The rest of the fixtures, such as the cistern and the pipes, can be identical to those of the western toilet.
Plushing the toilet causes water to push debris from the gutter into a drain that empties into the sewer system. The cistern is often operated in the same way as Western toilets, but some have pull handles or floor pedals instead.
Many Japanese toilets have two ways to flush: large and small. The difference lies in the amount of water used. The first form is used for feces (literally 'large excretion') and the second is used for urine (Japanese literally 'small excretion'). Some people hold down the knob in small mode for continuous noise, as discussed below.
There are two common variations: one where the toilet is level with the ground, and one where it sits raised on a platform about 30 cm (centimeters) high. The second is easier for men to use when urinating standing up, although both types can be used for this purpose.
There is also no difference in having a bowel movement or squatting. The user stands over the toilet facing the pot and pulls down his pants (or hikes up his skirt) and knee-length underwear. It then squats over the gutter, as close to the front as possible, as droppings tend to fall onto the rear edge of the receptacle if the user squats too far back; for this reason many public toilets have "please move a little closer" signs. It is important to maintain balance during bowel movements.
Foreigners often grab onto the pipe in front, which has been nicknamed the "grunt bar" because of the sounds made while grabbing the grunt bar. If the plumbing is concealed or not robust enough, a handle is sometimes installed specifically for the user to maintain their balance, both when using the toilet and when getting up after use.
Another strategy frequently used by foreigners to avoid any possible embarrassing accident is to strip completely naked from the waist down and hang up your clothes before assuming the position.
An advantage of this type of bathroom is that they are easy to clean. They are cheaper to manufacture and use less water each time the cistern is emptied. Also, thanks to the fact that there is no direct contact with the seat, they are more hygienic. The waterless spout also serves to reduce the risk of splashing during defecation. However, since the droppings are exposed to the air until the cistern is emptied, they tend to produce much more intense odors than if they were submerged in water as in Western toilets, an effect that is often noticeable in and near any toilet. Japanese.
Several health benefits are also attributed to Turkish plate type toilets. They are said to strengthen the pelvic muscles in women, reducing the likelihood of urinary incontinence. They are also said to strengthen the hips, improve both breathing and concentration, and the posture encourages more fecal matter to be removed from the colon. Getting into and holding the squat regularly can also help improve knee flexibility. However, there are no medical studies to confirm these claims, although it seems like a no-brainer given that sit-only toilets became common in the mid-19th century in the West.
Japanese bathroom furniture manufacturer TOTO produces traditional-type toilets with a built-in bidet to clean the anus. At the moment, a frontal cleaning is not available.
Western toilets
The standard toilet used around the world is called a "western type" (洋式) toilet in Japan. These toilets, along with high-tech toilets, are more common in Japanese homes than traditional toilets, although some older apartments retain toilet stickers explaining the proper way to use Western toilets for urination and defecation.
Although most public places such as schools, temples and train stations are often equipped only with traditional toilets, in their own homes, the Japanese prefer to be able to sit down, especially older people who find squatting a strain or is uncomfortable.
High-tech Japanese bidets
The modern Japanese toilet, often known in Japanese as a washlet (ウォシュレット) or as a "warm flushing toilet" (温水洗浄便座: onsui senjō benza) is the most advanced type of toilet in the world, because it offers an amazing amount of functionality.
TOTO's product called Washlet Zoe is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most sophisticated toilet (it has seven functions). However, since that model was introduced in 1997, it is probably inferior to the last product from the same manufacturer, the Neorest. The idea for the washlet came from abroad, and the first toilet with an integrated bidet was produced outside of Japan in 1964. The era of high-tech toilets began in Japan in 1980 with the introduction of the Washlet G Series by TOTO, and since 2002, almost half of Japanese households have such a toilet, exceeding the number of households with a personal computer. Although the toilet looks like a western one at first glance, it has a number of additional functions, such as a dryer, seat heater, massage options, water jet adjustment controls, automated lid opening, flushing after use, wireless control panels, heating and air conditioning for the room, etc. Functions are accessible via a control panel that is either attached to the side of the bowl or on a nearby wall, often transmitting commands wirelessly.
The most basic feature is the built-in bidet, a pencil-sized nozzle that sticks out from under the toilet seat and shoots a stream of water. It has two positions, one for the anus and one for the vulva. The first is called 'after cleaning', 'general use' or 'family cleaning', and the second is known as 'feminine cleaning' or 'feminine washing'. At no time does the mouthpiece come into contact with the user's body. The nozzle is also self-cleaning and cleans itself before and after each operation. The user can choose to clean their vulva or anus by pressing the corresponding button on the control panel. Typically, the same nozzle is used for both operations, but in a different position from the same, and using different openings to eject the water stream at different angles to aim at the correct location. Occasionally, two different nozzles are used, each dedicated to an area. Modern models have the control logic linked to a pressure sensor in the toilet seat, and it operates only when it detects that the seat is occupied. The first models did not have this safety mechanism, so curious users who pressed the buttons while looking at the toilet received a stream of warm water in the face.
Most high-tech toilets also allow you to choose the water pressure to suit the user's preferences. By default, the vulva receives less pressure than the anus. Usually, you can also choose the temperature of the water. Researchers in Japan have found that most customers prefer a water temperature slightly higher than body temperature, with 38°C (degrees Celsius) being considered best. The exact position of the nozzle can also usually be adjusted forwards or backwards manually.
High-end washlets also allow you to select a pulsating spray. Manufacturers claim this helps with hemorrhoids and constipation, and Dr. Hiroshi Ojima says these toilets are popular because of low fiber intake and high constipation rates in Japan. More advanced washlets can even mix warm soapy water to enhance the cleaning process.
The washlet can replace toilet paper completely, but many users choose to improve hygiene in combination with the mechanical action of the paper. This also depends on the region cleaned, and cleaning the vulva may not require the use of paper. Also, this could be of great help for those who cannot use toilet paper, such as people who suffer from anal fissures or hemorrhoids.
Another commonly found feature is the dryer, often adjustable between 40 and 60°C to dry out regions that have been wet from the use of the integrated bidet.
Others are: the seat heater, which can be set between 30 and 40 °C; an automated lid with a proximity detector, which opens and closes according to the user's position; automatic emptying of the cistern; automatic air deodorization; and germ resistant surface.
Some models specially designed for the elderly include armrests to help the user get up after use.
A 'soft close' feature slows down the toilet seat when closed to prevent noise, or on some models the seat automatically lowers itself some time after use.
The most recent introduction is the ozone deodorization system, which is capable of rapidly removing odor from waste.
Also, the latest models store the hours of use and have an energy saving system that only keeps the seat warm in the periods in which the system predicts that it will be used, based on previous uses.
Some glow in the dark or even have air conditioning for those hot summer days. Another recent innovation is smart sensors that detect if someone is facing the toilet looking at it, in which case they lift the lid and seat, or, if the person's back is turned, just lift the lid.
Recently, researchers have incorporated medical sensors that can measure blood sugar based on urine, as well as pulse rate, blood pressure, and fat content in the user's body. Other applications are being investigated. This data could be automatically sent to the doctor via a cell phone with Internet access. However, these devices are still very rare in Japan, and their future commercial success is hard to predict.
A voice-operated one that understands verbal commands is in development.
TOTO, Nais, and other companies also make portable, battery-operated "travel washlets" that need to be filled with warm water before use.
The seat heating feature is very common, and is even available on toilets without a built-in bidet. It's often used as an example of unnecessary technology, but in a home without central heating, the toilet may be only a few degrees above zero in winter, and a preheated seat may not seem so frivolous.
Urinals for men and women
Urinals in Japan are very similar to urinals in the rest of the world, and are mainly used for public male toilets or for many users.
Before and during the Meiji Era, urinals were used by both men and women. Traditionally, a kimono is worn without undergarments, and women simply lift up their kimono, and with an upward push of their vulva, they are able to direct urine into the urinal. This practice disappeared in the 20th century, after most women began to wear Western clothing. Today, even the kimono is almost always worn with undergarments.
The female urinal underwent a small restoration between 1951 and 1968, when TOTO produced them. This conical-shaped device was placed on the ground. However, they never really caught on, and only a few remain, such as under Japan's National Stadium from the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo.
Japan Specific Accessories
Toilets in Japan have accessories very similar to those in the rest of the world, including toilet paper, brush, siphon, etc. However, there are some accessories that are rarely found outside of Japan.
Otohime Device
Many Japanese women feel embarrassed at the thought that someone might hear them while they are busy on the toilet. And to cover up the sound of bodily functions, they have taken to continually flushing the cistern while using the toilet, wasting a great deal of water in the process.
Since education campaigns did not stop this practice, in the 1980s a device was presented that, when activated, produces the sound of falling water without actually using it. A common trade name is Otohime (音姫, for Otohime, the beautiful daughter of the sea king Ryūjin. The goddess's name is spelled differently, 乙姫, meaning 'younger princess').
This device is frequently installed in newly built women's restrooms, and many older restrooms have been updated as well. It can be either a separate battery-operated device mounted on the wall next to the toilet, or included in the washlet. It is activated by pressing a button or by moving your hand in front of a sensor. When activated, a loud sound similar to emptying a cistern is produced. The sound stops after a predetermined time or can be stopped by pressing the button again. It is estimated that it saves about 20 L (litres) of water per use.
However, some women think that the otohime has an artificial sound and prefer to continue emptying the cistern. At the moment, it seems that there is no demand for these devices in men's bathrooms, so they are rarely installed in them.
Bathroom slippers
In Japanese life, there is a tendency to separate areas into clean and unclean areas, and contact between those areas is minimized. For example, the interior of the house is considered clean, while the exterior is not. To keep both areas separate, the Japanese take their shoes off when entering their houses so that the shoes do not touch the clean area inside the house.
Historically, the bathrooms were outside the house, and to go to them they wore their shoes. Nowadays, they are usually indoors, and the hygienic conditions have improved a lot, but it is still considered as an unclean area. To minimize contact between the unclean floor and the clean floor in the rest of the house, many homes have bathroom slippers in front of the bathroom door. These must be put on when one enters and must be taken off when one leaves. In no case should you walk around the house with bathroom slippers.
Public toilets
Public toilets are easy to find in Japan. They are in department stores, supermarkets, bookstores, CD stores, parks, almost all 24-hour stores, and in almost all railway stations. Starting in the 1990s, there has been a movement to make public restrooms cleaner and more hospitable than they previously were.
Many public restrooms today have both types of toilets, although many others do not. Many train stations in the Tokyo area and public schools throughout Japan, for example, only have traditional toilets. Also, trains, parks, temples, and traditional Japanese restaurants typically only have these types of toilets. Users unaccustomed to them can either search for rooms indicated by the kanji 洋式 (yōshiki), the English words western-style, a symbol for the type of grooming, or any combination of the above. Alternatively, the user can search for a disabled toilet (if there is one).
Toilet paper is not always available. Packets of tissues are often provided free to passers-by as a publicity stunt. There are sometimes coin-operated toilet paper vending machines outside the toilets.
Many public toilets also do not have soap to wash hands, or towels to dry. Many people therefore carry a handkerchief with them for such occasions, and some even carry soap. Some public toilets have hot air hand dryers to reduce paper waste. Some people just don't wash their hands, but that's considered gross impoliteness, just like in other cultures.
Japanese toilets can be quite dirty or rather neat, depending on the situation. If one wants to find a clean restroom with all the amenities, it is a good idea to try an expensive department store such as Isetan or Seiyu. These toilets are usually well lit, spacious, equipped with soap dispensers, antibacterial cloths, paper toilet seat covers and hand dryers. They are routinely cleaned several times a day. Some even have washlets installed.
Large bookstores often offer clean restrooms and tend to have less traffic and are better maintained than other public restrooms.
At the other end of the cleanliness spectrum are toilets in train stations and public parks. In recent years, cameras for voyeuristic pornography have been found in many poorly maintained public restrooms.
Cultural aspects
In Japan, being clean is a very important factor, and some Japanese words indicating cleanliness can also be used to describe beauty. The word kirei (奇麗, きれい) can be defined as ‘pretty, beautiful; clean; pure; tidy.’ This may explain both the continued success of flush-mounted toilets, which lack direct contact with their surfaces, and also the success of high-tech toilets with built-in bidets.
Occasionally, even Western toilets are used in squatting.
There is also a large market for deodorants and air fresheners that add a pleasant scent to the area, to the point that one company markets a pill that, taken with food, supposedly renders stool odorless.
In the often crowded conditions of living in Japanese cities, and the lack of lockable rooms (as is common in traditional Japanese houses), the toilet is one of the few rooms that offer privacy.
Some bathrooms have a bookcase, others people walk in with a newspaper, and some are even lined with posters. Even with this, these toilets are, whenever possible, in separate rooms from those used for bathing. This is due to the ethics of separating clean areas from dirty ones, and this fact is a factor that is considered when renting a property.
Both the traditional toilet and the high-tech one can be a source of confusion for foreigners who are not used to these devices. Many Japanese toilets now have a short manual written in English next to the control panel or have buttons written in English to reduce culture shock. Even Japanese not used to these devices have found themselves in the same embarrassing situation.
Economy
TOTO is the world's largest producer of washrooms, including washlets. Washlets and other related products are also made by Inax, NAIS, and Panasonic.
The global market for high-tech toilets was US$800 million in 1997. The largest producer is TOTO with 50% of the market while the second is Inax with 25%.
The main market for washlets remains Japan, and TOTO has reported that overseas sales account for only 5% of its profits.
The main foreign market is China, where it sells more than one million units annually.
In the United States, for example, sales are well below Japanese levels, although sales have improved from 600 units per month in 2001 to 1,000 in 2003.
In Europe, TOTO only sells 5,000 units per year. While most Europeans would probably consider washlets a curiosity, sales in Europe are on the rise. This is mainly due to the special toilets for people with disabilities. Depending on the type of problem, disabled people may have difficulty cleaning themselves after using the toilet. Hence the introduction of those with a jet cleaner and dryer that saves them the hassle of having someone else assist them in a procedure they may consider to be inherently private.
There are several reasons for sales outside of Japan. A main reason is that it takes some time for users to get used to the idea of the washlet. Sales in Japan were also slow when the product was initially introduced in 1980, but after some acclimation, sales improved significantly from 1985. Around 1990, 10% of Japanese households had a washlet, and this number rose to 50% in 2002. TOTO expects a corresponding rise in overseas sales in the coming years. Another reason is the lack of a power source near the toilet. While virtually all Japanese bathrooms have a socket behind the toilet, many foreign toilets have none nearby.
Finally, in Europe, there is competition with the traditional Western bidet; on the other hand, Americans are not used to any type of bidet.
References (in English)
- Brooke, James (2002): "Japanese teachers approach the nirvana of the toilet," The New York Times8 October 2002.
- Connell, Ryann (2002): Girls speak with excessive effusion about bath pleasures of the new era (breakable link available on the Internet Archive; see history, first version and last). Mainichi Shinbun, WaiWai section, 29 July 2002
- Magnier, Mark (1999): "Japan cleanses obsession with a water jet", L. A. Times.
- McGinn, Daniel (2005): "The King of Throne", magazine Wireditem 13.03.
- Executing Art: The Residential Collection, TOTO Color Brochure
- Annual report of TOTO, 2002, TOTO
- Walsh, Michael (1989): «I pray for a day in a small room with a view (High-tech Japanese Toilets)» (breakable link available on the Internet Archive; see history, first version and last)., magazine Time13 February 1989
- Washlet: the evolution of cleaning, color pamphlet of TOTO United States
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