An Affair with Toilets

When I first sit down on the toilet at Hiro-chan's home, it makes a little whirr of anticipation. No joking. It is weird. I look over to where the toilet paper is and there is also a little box that looks suspiciously like the sprinkler controls at my momﾕs house. In essence that is what the box is.

It is true, all the houses in Japan have smart toilets that wash you, dry you, and auto-flush. Maybe not all toilets, but enough to warrant the reputation. In fact, toilets in Japan fall into the full range of expectation--from the unbelievable to the enviable.

What is there to envy beyond the controls and noises? How about the how the toilet keeps itﾕs seat warm 24/7? The unbelievable toilets are the public squatters where you are required to bring your own toilet tissue. Talk about uncomfortable! And yes, that is squatter--as in a hole in the the ground you squat over to relieve yourself. I am always worried something will fall into my pants.

Back to the enviable; I have not dared to push any buttons yet. The last thing I want my in-laws to see is me away from the pot with a stream of water shooting up my back as I am hopping back to the toilet after calling for help because it wonﾕt turn off. No thank you!



**Here is a little cultural fact for all you Jeopardy players. Apparently it is shameful for someone to hear you urinate (I am thinking this only applies to girls), so a long time ago girls used to flush twice in order to drown out the "peeing" sound. Japan is not a country of waste; now the public toilets are equipped with a button that starts a sound like flushing water. Only it is really loud so that it drowns out the sound of the person using the restroom.