The Culture Behind Japanese Toilets

In most Non-Japanese Cultures people do not think about the toilet and the bath as being separate. If they are separate it’s more for practical purposes than cleanliness.  However, in Japanese culture the toilet and bath are almost always separate.  The reasoning behind this is the toilet is an unclean area; therefore, they separate it from the bath area in order to keep the unclean away from the clean. 

To follow with the tradition of keeping clean areas separate from unclean areas in a house or a restaurant you will often find toilet slippers.  These are slippers that you change into when entering the toilet area. Leaving your normal slippers behind retains the cleanliness of the toilet area, but be careful a mistake often made by non-Japanese is forgetting to change out of the toilet slippers when leaving the toilet area, which defeats the whole point of leaving the toilet un-cleanliness in the toilet.  Also when not using the toilet the toilet door is supposed to remain closed, as unclean areas are not meant to be seen. In America we usually open the door to air it out as not to give the next person a smelly shock!

After writing this story I decided to hit the streets and see what other people thought about the toilet situation in Japan. 

Here are some of the answers I got:

Australia, lived in Japan for about 5 years
Growing up toilets and bath weren’t separate, but they are separate in my residence in Tokyo. Before coming to Japan I really didn’t have an opinion about the toilet and bath being separate or not, but having the toilet and bath separate has its pros and cons.  If they are separate you can use the toilet while another person is taking a shower, however, you have to walk to a separate room in order to jump into the shower after using the toilet.  I do think the toilet is a dirty area, but I don’t mind the toilet and bath being together.  I don’t really know about the popularity of separate toilets and baths in Australia.  The reason I think they are separate in Japan is because people view the toilet as a dirty area and the bath as a clean one.

Sweden, Tourist
Growing up the toilet and bath were together, and in Tokyo I’ve only stayed in hotels and they are usually together.  Once I did stay at a friend’s apartment and it was so small that for space conservation it was a unit.  I didn’t really have an opinion before coming to Japan about the toilets and baths being separate or together.  Larger houses and apartments in Europe tend to have a “guest toilet” near the entrance or dining room.  If I had a choice I would prefer for them to be separate, if I had no choice I would want to have more than one to avoid congestion. I don’ t think of the toilet as a dirty area, but I think they should have soundproof doors.  I think it’s becoming popular to have toilets and baths separate in Sweden.  In Japan I think they are separate because of cleanliness.

China, lived in Japan for about 9 years
My childhood home had a unit bath; here in Tokyo it’s separate.  Before coming to Japan I didn’t have an opinion.  Now I think that separate is more convenient.  I think that public toilets are dirty, but not one’s private toilet.  In China they are usually together, but lately it has become popular to have them separate.  I think the reason why they are separate in Japan is for convenience.

Taiwan, lived in Japan for about 3 years
Growing up they were separate, and here they are separate.  I didn’t have an opinion before coming to Japan, but I think having the toilet and bath separate is better for convenience, one person can use the toilet while the other is in the shower.  I’m ok with having the toilet and bath together, and I don’t think of the toilet as a dirty place because I clean it often.  In Taiwan it’s becoming popular to have them together.  I think the reason for having them separate is because there is not enough space to have them comfortably together.

Japan
I had a separate toilet and bath growing up, and they are still separate.  I’m fine with having the toilets separate or together.  I do think the toilet area is a little dirty.  As for why Japanese people think the toilet and bath should be separated, the reason is not only because they believe the toilet to be a dirty area, but they also believe the bath to be a very clean one and an area to cleanse oneself in.

Korea, lived in Japan for about 5 years
Growing up they were separate, but together in Tokyo.  I prefer having them together because it makes cleaning easier.  I don’t think the toilet is a dirty area, but I can see why the Japanese may think it’s dirty, because when you think about it, it is a dirty area.

Technologically Advanced Toilets

Toilets in Japan are some of the most advance toilets in the world, providing not only auto flush, but also auto music ranging from elevator tunes to the sound of a flushing toilet.  This is of course to cover up the sound of whatever you may be doing!  The toilets in Japan also have seat warmers, which is personally my favourite feature.  Once you get used to sitting on a nice warm toilet seat you will never want to get up, and never be able to go back to cold seats.  In America when I sit on the cold porcelain toilet seat it’s always so shocking to my bum. 

Besides producing noises and heat these extremely technologically advanced toilet seats have many other functions, many of which I have yet to test, because really who wants to be on the toilet for that long!  From what I can gather from the Japanese written on the buttons there is a bidet function, a drier function for after using the bidet, and a de-odorizing function.  I have never actually used the latter because I am not really sure what it is supposed to de-odorize, the air or me?