Japanese Public Restrooms - A love hate relationship

Sooner or later everyone's got to go. In a number of cases, especially if you're traveling through Japan, this means finding the closest public restroom. Public Restrooms or Public Toilets are one of the many things here in Japan that I have a love hate relationship with and so I thought that today I would share with you some of the good, bad and otherwise about Public Restrooms here in Japan.

What you probably already know: 

If you've found yourself researching Japanese toilets you've probably become familiar with two types of toilets the first being the squat toilet and the second being the electric toilet. First and foremost let's take a moment to talk about the squat toilet . The squat toilet is something which could be considered "traditional" or "old fashioned" by some but is still very common today throughout Japan in modern buildings to include tourist attractions and shopping centers. This type of toilet is used by squatting over it which can be great because no contact is made with the actual toilet itself, however, if you have any sort of trouble squatting or suffer from any type of injuries to your hips of knees (like I do) then this toilet can be a nightmare. They are also not often as clean as other toilets because despite being "traditional" in nature I am not convinced that Japanese people actually know how to properly use these squat toilets or prefer to use them. This could honestly be one of those things they keep around to see how tourist react as far as I am concerned because to this day I have never seen a Japanese person actually go into one of these stalls willingly.

The second type of toilet which is known for being popular in Japan is the electric toilet. This is easily identifiable by the 10 to 30 buttons available both on the toilet seat and sometimes on the wall. These toilets will spray, mist, air dry and even sing while you do what you have to do. They can be found in a number of places as well. Although there isn't really anything scary about these electric toilets they can be a bit of a challenge for parents with young children who are now using the "big girl/boy potty" and like to push buttons. I say this because little bums don't cover the area which would normally be covered by big bums and sometimes this can result in mommy coming out of the bathroom covered with water.

The awesome stuff you probably don't know: 

So we know about the toilets but there are also some other pretty awesome things about Japanese public restrooms that you probably didn't know. First and foremost the cleanliness needs to be mentioned. It's safe to say that most public restrooms you visit in Japan will be the cleanest that you have ever been to. The floor is usually dry, it doesn't stink to high heavens and you're not going to look like you spilled water on your lap if you accidentally bump into the sink. For me this is one of the things that I absolutely love about Japanese public restrooms.

For the fashionistas out there you might even find that in public restrooms located in large shopping complexes the stalls are outfitted with changing stations. This is a small fold down platform which you can stand on while changing outfits. I first saw this in Tokyo while in Sunshine City but then a few years later its way down to shopping centers here in Okinawa.

Parent's also have some special features they can take advantage of in public restrooms for when nature calls. One that I imagine would be most useful is a child seat which is located in the corner of the bathroom stall. This small seat unfolds offering you a safe place for you to set your child while you take care of yourself. At least one of these stalls can be found in almost every public restroom. Potty training children or those who are trained but have small bums don't have to worry about falling in as they have a special seat which is child size and can be folded down over the adult size toilet seat. You might even find a child size urinal in the restroom (both mens and women's).

Something else that is pretty awesome, at least I think so, is the use of co-ed bathrooms. These can usually be found at convenience stores where there is a women's restroom as well as a men and woman's restroom. This give women the option of using either of the toilets but unfortunately doesn't offer much for men. . . sorry guys. This is great for cutting down wait time for the restroom when 3 or 4 women are in line but don't want to use a toilet because men happen to go in there. I on the other hand could care less.

Some not so great stuff you probably don't know: 

Like everything else in life public restrooms in Japan have their negatives. One of the things that I find not so great about public restrooms in Japan is the size of the stalls. Although some stalls are large like you might find in the US it is not uncommon to see stalls which are smaller than your average airplane bathroom. What do I mean by small? So small that you have to stand on one side of the stall just to get the door open because there is only about an inch or two of clearance between the door and the toilet bowl. The worst part about these small stalls in my opinion is because there is just no room. It's like all you can do is stand up and turn around.

Another thing that is not so great about public restrooms here in Japan is the lack of paper towels. Don't get me wrong it's true that there are hand dryer machines in some bathrooms around Japan but there are also some without hand dryer machines or paper towels. This usually leaves you with your wet dripping hands wondering what to do next. Do I wipe them on my pants and look like a mess or just walk out of here hands dripping? At times like these I usually find it helpful to bring along a towel of my own. Not only is it something I have on hand during the summertime for various reasons but as a last resort it can be helpful in this type of situation as well.



Finally is the toilet paper. For some reason public restrooms in Japan like to stock up on one ply toilet paper which can make life. . . unpleasant. This is one of the reasons that if I am out for a long day of exploring or traveling I like to bring some toilet paper of my own. Now I realize that this might sound crazy to some of you out there trust me it makes long trips out and about much more enjoyable and worry free especially if you're going to less traveled places where toilet paper might not be accessible.

 

The Love Hate Relationship 

When all is said and done I have a love hate relationship with Japanese public restrooms. There are some really good things about them and then some not so good things. At the end of the day when you gotta go. . . you gotta go!

Summertime Savings Tips

The summertime is upon us and it's time to start thinking about saving some money, because let's face it everyone wants to save a little coin! Here are a few ways that I find helpful in saving money during the summer season!

Don't let the water run. . . . save it! 

Many houses in Okinawa have what is known in the US as On Demand Hot Water Heaters. Unlike what many Americans are familiar with this type of hot water heater must be turned on for hot water to begin running through your pipes. 

Rather than letting water run down the drain while you're waiting for the hot water to get to your shower, for example, why not collect the water and use it for other things around the house? One thing we like to do is to save our large PET bottles and full them up nightly while waiting for the hot water. We then use the bottles of water to do other things around the house like flush the toilet, water garden plants or even wash dishes. Each time a shower is prepared it can take anywhere from 3 to 4 water bottles before the shower is running hot water so why let it go to waste? Believe it or not this simple task can reduce your water bill.

Unplug your appliances. 

You've got vampires in your house! That's right but rather than sucking blood they are slowly sucking electricity! Appliances like TV's, computers, gaming consoles, hot water heaters (the ones you make tea with) and anything else with a stand by mode are not just sitting there waiting to be used. . . . they are sucking your wallet dry.

Rather than leaving your appliances plugged in unplug them unless you are actually using them. Although it may be a little less convenient then it would be to keep everything plugged in at all times you will see a HUGE drop in your electricity bill the next time one comes around.

Be smart with your AC. 

There is no way around it, Okinawa gets hot and humid. However, its important to be smart with your AC so that you don't end up like the many families who have approached me in the past wondering why they have a $600.00 electricity bill.

Fighting the urge to keep your house as cool as a walk in fridge can be difficult, especially in Okinawa's hottest months, however, there are some things you can to in order to use your AC smarter during the summer months. The biggest tip is to remember NOT to keep rooms AC'ed that you are not using. Although it can be nice to go anywhere in your house without having to wait for the room to cool off it can also be a huge financial burden.

Another thing I like to do is designate a small room in my house as the place to go if the heat gets to be too much. I chose the small room because it's easier to cool and takes less energy. Although it's a small room it's a great place to watch movies, play board games of do other non-physical activities while trying to stay cool.

Unplug your super toilet. 

Look. . . . I get it. . . . no tush should ever have to be subjected to a cold toilet seat in the middle of the night BUT your "super toilet" or heater toilet seat can be unplugged during the summer months.