Toilets, Baths and Showers

“FUNCTIONING” in a different society

From an anonymous Nara JET: When I was an exchange student here in Japan, my homestay family had a big welcome party for me one of my first nights in Japan. I proceeded to get fairly drunk and had to take a leak. I had already noticed that our toilet had a greater resemblance to the set of Star Trek than any porcelain I had prayed to as a young college freshmen, but in my drunken stupor I had come upon the courage to start doing what my dad always warned me not to do: press random buttons.

Before I knew it my pants had been covered by a stream of water that I was seemingly incapable of stopping (I had become so “absorbed” with the buttons I didn’t even bother to go about my business). Eventually my fogged memory recalled the kanji for “stop” and with some toilet paper I cleaned up the water on the floor. My pants, however, were a lost cause. I carefully snuck by the raging party and quickly changed, to apparently no one’s notice. Of course, I still had to go to the bathroom….

Oh, yes, toilets! Always a topic of conversation among foreigners in any country. Here they range from those that splash back up at you all that has been dropped into them to those that spray your underside with clean water heated to just the right temperature. Some have heated seats so that when you sit down you have to wonder, “who has been here before me?” and some have no seats at all, leaving you to squat and get out with little or no time for such profound philosophical meditations. We in Nara recognize that having to go through potty-training again as an adult can present a fair number of obstacles. That’s why we’re here to hold your hand through this unique “rite of passage.” Here are a few diagrams and practical pointers to guide you to a higher level of toilet profeciency. Armed with this basic knowledge, you’ll be able to tackle any toilet from rural junior highs to urban government offices. (Is there a difference?)

So anyways, toilets are different here. Women will probably figure out the secret before men, but here it is once and for all: DON’T PULL YOUR PANTS ALL THE WAY DOWN. Got it?? So when dealing with a squatter, face the wall, not the door. Pull your pants down just enough so that excrement falls in the toilet, not in your pants. A quick moving away movement at that crucial moment helps, especially when using an au natural toilet (a.k.a. a hole in the ground) where splash back could be a problem. Guys may also find it easier to urinate before…and don’t push buttons unless you know what they’ll do (usually spray water of varying temperatures on your butt.)

O.K., that’s it….quick and painless…sorry its graphic, but hey, who gives a shit? So now, check out the graphic graphics.

Bath (Ofuro)

You will find your bathtub square and deep and usually separate from the toilet area. Wash, shampoo, etc, and rinse yourself in the tiled area using the ladle and stool or shower before getting into the tub–let people hear about you messing this up and you’ll never hear the end of it! The bath is for soaking and relaxing only; hence the rules. For a more detailed explanation, see the Japan Travel Bureau’s Living Japanese Style.