4 Amazing Things About Bathrooms in Japan | Guidable - Your Guide to a Sustainable, Wellbeing-centred Life in Japan

4 Amazing Things About Bathrooms in Japan

By Yae Mar 4, 2018

This post is also available in: Italian

While living in Japan or visiting as a tourist, have you ever noticed some amazing points of bathrooms in Japan?
First, bathrooms are available everywhere, at places like restaurants, parks, department stores, bookstores and convenient stores so that most of you wouldn’t get in trouble finding one when you need them while being out.
This article will show you some amazing points of bathrooms in Japan. You’ll see that it’s not just the bathrooms, they offer certain “services”.

Let’s begin.

 

1. People Can Use Bathrooms for Free (All the Time)

 

 

It’s a famous thing that people can use bathrooms for free in Japan. In other countries we need to pay, using coins in other countries, but Japan offers them for free.
People can use bathrooms for free at the restaurants, parks, convenient stores, bookstores, department stores, etc. and even you’re out for long and suddenly need to go to the bathroom, you can find one easily.

The amazing thing is that even you don’t buy anything at the convenience store or department store, you still can go straight there without anyone complaining about it.

 

2. Amazing Products You Can Find at the Bathroom in Japan

 

Not at all of them, but some luxury department stores or restaurants (including izakaya) are fully equipped with convenient products at the bathrooms.
This may feel like you’re at home and these products may help you out for certain situations such as in the middle of important dates or business dinner, etc.

Here are amazing products you can find in the bathrooms if you’re lucky:

 

 

1. Mouthwash

 

If you’re lucky, you can find mouthwash or mouth rinse at the bathrooms in some restaurants or izakayas in Japan.

If you ate too much garlic but it’s the middle of a date or a business dinner, don’t you think it’s better to freshen your breath? For those who are suffering from severe chronic bad breath, you may feel relieved by this supportive product at the bathroom even while meeting with important people.

I hope you can find it there!

 

2. Sanitary pads

 


This goes ONLY for ladies.

If your “time-of-the-month” unexpectedly arrives and you don’t have any sanitary pad with you, what do you think of finding one in the bathroom outside from home totally free? Imagine there are no drug stores or convenient stores close to you.
Many of you may feel “Lucky” or “Thank God!” relieved.

I hope there are sanitary pads, at the time of need!

 

3. Oil absorbing sheets

 

Many of you might already know that in Japan it gets very hot at summer.
Due to the humidity, people get sweaty and it’s going to be a disaster for women worried about smudgy makeup.

Many Japanese women carry their own oil absorbing papers all the time when they go out especially on a hot summer. However, in case of running out of oil absorbing papers, you can find some for free in the bathroom.

 

3.Amazing Performances at Bathrooms in Japan (TOTO)

 

Most of the bathrooms in Japan offer people some high-end service.
Do you think you don’t need that? Well, if you will experience it once, you’re definitely going to like it, such as follows:

 

1.Electric toilet seats

 

 

Have you ever experienced electric toilet seats which warms up and cleans?
The Japanese company called TOTO created this electric toilet seats in the year of 1980 as we normally call them “Washlet” as the name of the product.

This creation made a big influence on a Japanese culture, so now you can find Washlet nearly everywhere in Japan.
Of course, some public bathrooms and old houses still don’t have Washlet.
Washlet keeps the seat warm even on a freezing winter season, so you can go to the bathroom not worrying about freezing.

 

2.Toilet flushing sound simulator

 

 

No one feels comfortable if people stay close to you while you’re in the bathroom. Many of you may even think you want to be alone concerning the uncomfortable sounds.

Japanese company called TOTO also invented this unique amazing product called “Otohime” which is the toilet flushing sound simulator in the year of 1988.
If you push the button of Otohime, the music plays with flushing sound trying to mask the sound while people are in the bathroom.

Thanks to the Otohime people do not feel embarrassed.

 

4. What Makes Japanese People Want to Have Comfortable Bathrooms?

 

 

According to the Gender Equality Bureau Cabinet Office in Japan, people are aiming for the project called “Japan Toilet Challenge” trying to have more strategy for growth.
Japanese people put a lot of effort to make a better image of Japan.
Japanese people are trying to have the impression as “Japan is clean” or “Bathrooms in Japan are so beautiful and amazing” from people of other nationalities.

By the time of the year 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Japanese local governments are working hard for having a better quality of bathrooms to impress people from other countries.

 

 

Now you can see what amazing points Japanese bathrooms have.
For those who are planning to visit Japan pretty soon, don’t worry about going outside for a long time. You can find clean bathrooms everywhere quite easily and focus on sightseeing without worries.

Trust in Japanese bathrooms!

YAE
Japan