Japanese Features Japanese public bathrooms Soceity and Customs

Japanese Public Bathrooms Part2

Japanese toilets have advanced a lot with new gadgets introduced.  Some are very cutting edge.  

These "advanced" toilets are called "Washets," which have an extendable nozzle to clean your private bottom parts after you relieve yourself.  Just pressing a button, the nozzle does the dirty job for you.  Another button functions to dry your buttocks.  It is super hygienic with no trace of your waste left on your body. 

These advanced toilets are originally designed for private use (as you can imagine, it isn't less expensive even in Japan), but these days, they are available and actually used even in public bathrooms.  We wonder who uses these toilets?  Do they worry if the extendable nozzle might have accidentally touched somebody else's private parts?

Another interesting gadget available in public bathrooms is a small device called "Otohime"  (Japanese: 乙姫).  This emits some sound: flushing sound while you are urinating.  Just press a button of the machine installed on the wall in the toilet compartment, and then the device makes the sound.

The picture below shows a Japanese-style toilet with the device on your right.  Of course, this device is also available for western-style toilets.

The above picture is a closer-up of the device on the wall.  The silver square one is the device.  For this particular one, you do not have to press the button or anything, just place your hand in front of its black part.  The flushing water sound lasts for 25 seconds and stop.  Placing your hand again can make an extension of the sound for another 25 seconds.

Do you find it pretty interesting that Japanese people invent such a device?   Thinking of how they feel about discharging their waste, even urine, you can have a better understanding of this invention.

Do you happen to know if these gadgets are not available, for instance, at the workplace, Japanese people keep flushing so that they do not make discharging noise.  It is considered ill-mannered to make such noise while dealing with private matters.

Japanese people value "private business should be private."   What do you think?  

If you are interested in Japanese bathrooms, here are some more readings. Japanese Public Bathrooms Part 1, a necessary item for Japanese bathrooms, and public bathrooms.