Bathroom controls in Japan
Leslie describes the toilet controls she encountered during the family’s Japan trip.
Playback isn’t available here. Open the film on Vimeo ↗
Originally published in March 2020. This article reflects our family’s observations and experience at the time; facilities, features, and local conditions may change.
Why in the world would I write a post about something we all try to avoid: public bathrooms?
Well, in case you are new to the blog, we have five kids! Our oldest was 12 when I wrote this. This means lots of toddlers, one in diapers, and lots and lots of bathroom breaks.
As we travel the world, I’ve spent a lot of headspace finding and navigating bathrooms with kids. Chances are good that if you are on this blog, you also like to travel with kids! I’m sharing my observations and tips in hopes it helps other families along their journey.
First of all, let’s just establish that our Western ideas of a toilet are not shared worldwide 🙂 . In the facilities we visited, Europe often felt familiar, while we encountered different toilet designs in Asia.
In case you have never heard of a “squatty potty”, let me share my boy’s reaction when they first saw one in the Singapore airport: “Mom, there is a HOLE in the GROUND and people are peeing into it!”
That’s fairly accurate. A squatty potty is a hole, with spaces on either side for your feet, that you squat above and do your business. More than once, at a “western toilet,” as they are called in Asia, I found footprints on the bowl. I also saw signs warning against standing on the bowl; I imagine it could damage the toilet.
Word of warning: unless you are an amazing squatter, trying to use these can be tricky and messy. Kind of like going in the woods 🙂
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Most of the squat toilets I used flushed, thankfully, so they weren’t like an outhouse. Most had a button, but in some places I had to fill a bucket and flush it myself (yep, done it a lot of times!). In China, I was warned about squatties that are more like “troughs” and flush on a schedule, like every 15 min. So it may be kind of full when you arrive? Thankfully, we never saw this. In the places we visited in China, most of the toilets I encountered were squat toilets; if I saw a Western toilet, it was being used by an older person.
On the other end of the spectrum, let’s talk about Japan. The toilets we used there were among the most high-tech and amazing I’d encountered. We came across toilets with lids that opened or closed themselves, automatic flushing, bidet options I couldn’t understand (boy versus girl options too where the water will spray a different spot I guess?), heated air dryers for your rear, and even white noise that started when you sat down and did your business. It was shocking to sit and hear random bird sounds or rushing water white noise.
Original YouTube video: https://youtu.be/KXjUydevMQs
In the European facilities we visited, we found Western toilets. However, many times in a public location, there was no lid. This still perplexes me and all I can think of it is easier to clean? It’s not very fun to sit on the rim alone!
When you have a toddler that needs to go, finding a public toilet becomes a BIG priority! So how available are they?
In our travels, it could be tricky to find a toilet in public, especially when we didn’t know the local customs. We’ve had plenty a pee outside! We found a few kinds of places that often had toilets, thankfully.
In the areas of Asia we visited, convenience stores seemed common to us. You think I’m exaggerating, but it was not uncommon to see them every block. 7-Eleven’s market is Asia people. In the stores we used, there was usually a toilet. We also found McDonalds useful when we needed a toilet.
In the European cities and areas we visited, toilets could be trickier to find. We often encountered paid public toilets (more on that below), but they could be hard to find. On our European road trips, gas stations off the freeway were plentiful, so toilets were easier for us to find on main freeways. In a city, however, it could be tough!
Paris was especially hard and we learned the hard way to always use the bathroom when leaving a cafe. At the time we visited, we found freestanding public toilets on the street. The ones we used were free and cleaned themselves. This process took a few minutes, and there could be a long wait with one or two people in front of us. Check the City of Paris’s public toilet map for current locations, service status, and listed hours.
Have you heard you need to carry your own toilet paper? Unless you are my grandma (or my friend Lua- love you!), you probably don’t. I never do. My bag is too packed already with camera gear, snacks, bandaids and diapers.
However, it’s probably a good idea to carry your own, especially in China. In the public restrooms we visited in China, paper products were often missing. Sometimes they have vending machines, but I’d usually borrow from our guide, a friend, or use a baby wipe (just throw it away so it doesn’t mess with plumbing). I asked our guide finally why there is never toilet paper?! She said it gets taken if they put it in! As in, people take it to use at home. Talk about frugal!
In the Asian facilities we visited, paper towels were often missing. It was surprising to come to Europe and find them again. I’d gotten totally used to going without. In the European facilities we used, we often found hand dryers, but sometimes you just need a paper towel (like when I forget wipes!).
Back to the TP, in some places we visited in Asia, we learned not to flush toilet paper. I’d also heard the same caution about some places in South America, but we hadn’t experienced it ourselves. We sometimes had to throw it away (yep, it’s really gross). In the facilities we visited in Thailand, this was one of the major bummers for me. I think in some hotels and other places, people still flushed. I know we did before we found out. I heard it can really mess with some systems, so follow the instructions at each facility.
I wish I could say all public toilets are super clean and easy to find (already dispelled that!), but of course, that’s not true. The public toilets we encountered varied widely in cleanliness.
Among the places we visited in Asia, Japan stood out for cleanliness. The public toilets we used there were usually clean. At really busy, touristy locations, they could be slightly messy. I found that many had an attendant keeping them clean, but once the attendant left, they could get messier with the tourists. In parks, gas stations, and other places we visited, I never dreaded using a toilet.
In Europe, Italy was the worst for us. The bathrooms we used there were gross. Rome toilets were nasty. The Paris toilets we used were also pretty gross! Outside Paris, the facilities we used in France seemed fairly clean and comfortable. In our experience, facilities elsewhere were similar to those in the US, but it depended on the place.
Ever heard of paying to pee? I hadn’t! We ran into this maybe twice in Asia (one being at Chatuchak Market in Bangkok) where we had to pay a small fee for the bathroom.
Coming to Europe it’s been a new budget line item! Not really, but we often encountered paid toilets. Sometimes there was a full-time attendant, a day-time attendant or an automated machine that you put money in to enter. Thankfully for us, sometimes kids were free, but often we paid for everyone. That could add up to more than $10 for our family to use the bathroom at the time.
If a toilet isn’t free, it can also be passcode protected. You may get the code on your receipt or you may have to ask. In both McDonald’s and Starbucks I’ve had to do both. I also saw in Basel, Switzerland people would share the code very freely. I had three people approach me and ask for it!
I know, we are just glad to find the bathroom, but what about other items, like a changing table?
Outside the facilities we visited in Japan and Singapore, I didn’t often find these amenities in the Asian facilities we used. In the Japanese facilities we visited, we often found changing tables and sometimes an entire room with changing tables, sinks, wipes, and a microwave. We also found nursing rooms, toddler seats in stalls, mini urinals for toddler boys, and small stalls with mini toilets. They felt SO family-friendly to us.
Otherwise in Asia, we just used a patch of grass or our wagon or stroller! We use this pretty often.
In the European facilities we visited, changing tables were not guaranteed, but we found them fairly often. I’ve had to use some counters, but it hasn’t been as challenging. We saw few nursing rooms in the places we visited.
This has been our experience with seven months in Asia and six months in Europe!
Has your experience been different? Let me know in comments! I’m always keenly aware that the experience I present as advice is my experience and may be different from yours.
Enjoy your travels!
Leslie
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Squat toilets were the norm in Europe too when I was a kid. Things have changed massively in the toilet world in the decades we’ve been travelling. I love a bum squirter rather than paper, it’s much cleaner, but it only works in hot climates. The Asian squat toilet is now pretty rare to find, they used to be ubiquitous.