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Japanese Bathrooms (Toire)

Page history last edited by Bestow 10 years, 5 months ago

How are Japanese restrooms (otherwise known as Toire, which is an abbreviation of the English word "toilet") different from Western-style bathrooms? Let me count the ways...

 

As it turns out, traditional-style toilets known as washiki (squat toilets) are used in most public toire, though the Western-Style bidets are more popular in residences.  As you can see, the washiki looks like a trench filled with porcelain in the middle of the toire.  The reason it's called a squat toilet is because, of all things, you have to squat to eliminate in one.  This could be very messy the first time someone unfamiliar with the concept makes the attempt.

 

Squat Toilets:

 

 

Bidets are popular in homes because they're much easier to use then squat toilets and have way, way more fun gadgets to play with after the deed is done.  Toilet paper may be a thing of the past soon because bidets do it without the paper.  Why use scratchy, rough toilet paper when you can command the bidet to hose the rear with pleasantly warm water in a stream ranging from "gentle" to "Niagra Falls!"?  Some bidets even have a "massage" setting, like a shower head.  The possibilities with bidets are nearly endless!  Some have lids that automatically open and close.  Some have wireless control panels that play music or radio.  I imagine you could even get one that would read an e-book to you while you contemplate.

 

Bidets (Western Style):

I have never seen a bidet this spectacular in an American home before.  I imagine some do have bidets, but most toilets in America have this kind of toilet:`                    

This lacks the unique usage of water the bidet allows.  This difference might be explained by another common toire artifact:

Yes.  Toilet-dedicated slippers.  These are meant to keep the uncleanliness of the toilet away from the clean parts of the house.  This clear sense of division might help explain why the bidets are so high-tech.  Instead of the bathroom being just another part of the residence, it is a room imbued with a sense of purpose.  Because it is considered "special", more attention is paid to aesthetics and functionality.  It is not a place to be avoided, with glaring light that reveals every imperfection and the utter beastliness of a place a person goes to drop the garbage, but it is instead a place of quiet solitude where one is meant to relax and answer the sweet call of nature.  When one is in harmony with their body and their surroundings, taking a dump becomes an expression of unity with all living, defecating beings.  Why wouldn't a bathroom be comfortable and technologically developed when it fulfills such a lofty function?

 

If one wishes to read further about the aesthetics of Japanese toilets, they should read Tanizaki's "In Praise of Shadows".  It contains his viewpoint on the difference between Western-style and Japanese bathrooms and was the inspiration for this page.

 

   

 

Outsider Japan's Home Page

 

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