Why Japan’s Public Toilets are Amazing
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- Опубликовано: 22 май 2024
- Lots of people have heard about the awesome tech in Japanese toilets. But what about their public toilets?
- Iceland video supplied by Reuters
- Toilets stats from Chiyoda-ku www.city.chiyoda.lg.jp/docume... and www.city.chiyoda.lg.jp/koho/b...
- Toilet stats for 23 special wards of Tokyo www.tokyo-23city.or.jp/chosa/...
- If Toilets Change, Will Society Change? The Future of Public Restrooms www.nippon-foundation.or.jp/j...
- Paris Sanisettes parisjetaime.com/eng/article/...
- Convenience store numbers in Japan 2013-2022 www.statista.com/statistics/8... and uub.jp/pdr/m/c.html#:~:text=%...
- Cities With the Cleanest Public Toilets crewcare.co.nz/blog/cleanest-...
- The Tokyo Toilet Project tokyotoilet.jp/en/
- Questionnaire survey on toilets used frequently in daily life www.mlit.go.jp/common/0011716...
- Cleaning schedule for public toilets in Koto-ku www.city.koto.lg.jp/470705/ma...
- Drug overdoses in public bathrooms are common: here’s how we could prevent harm theconversation.com/drug-over...
- More overdoses are happening in public washrooms and Vancouver wants businesses to know they can help www.straight.com/news/1287391...
- Why Japan's Homeless are Different from North America's • Why Japan's Homeless a...
- A Comparative Policy Analysis of Public Toilet Provision Initiatives in North American Cities: Recommendations for the Creation of a Public Toilet Strategy in Toronto - tspace.library.utoronto.ca/ha...
- Japan trails other countries in ‘deinstitutionalisation’, but there are signs of progress, says OECD www.oecd.org/els/health-syste...
- Which Countries and Cities Have the Most Restrooms? www.qssupplies.co.uk/the-publ...
- Why Public Bathrooms Suck in North America: Uytae Lee's Stories About Here • Why Public Bathrooms S...
- Mt. Shirakami Toilet in Google Maps www.google.ca/maps/place/Mt.+...
- Men's Restrooms www.japantimes.co.jp/news/200...
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The sink by the toilet at 14:57 is for washing your hands before you touch your wheelchair! I screamed when I saw it as I've been begging for that for years! Its so gross to have to use the toilet, then transfer to your chair, and have to touch your chair to get to the sink to wash your hands! Added bonus, it lets your rinse your menstrual cup too without making a mess! I wish all bathrooms had this!
Oh, cool, I obviously never knew this before.
I think that goes for a lot of bathroom designers too XD I was blown away with how well thought out some of those bathrooms were in terms of accessibility, in the US and UK I'm lucky if I can even fit into the the accessible stall! It made me so happy to see how it should be everywhere!
I was thinking it was for a menstrual cup, too.
Would have never known without you informing me. Thank you.
Was just going to say this! It's a major thing that doesn't happen in the uk
Japanese toilets are the result of everyone’s effort keeping them clean. Really amazing
The communal thinking of the Japanese really is amazing. It really stood out when I was visiting and staying in an actual neighborhood.
As a Vancouverite, I can confirm all the stuff in the video about Vancouver. I actively avoid public toilets if I can, but if I am forced to use one, I seek out either a shopping mall or a private business that requires a purchase to use as they are generally cleaner.
NYC Metro toilets are the most scary one. 🤭
I like to use the ones at Walmart or Target lol
Not only that but they have bathrooms in Train Stations too. Another thing we sorely lack in Vancouver.
The closure of Riverview, BC's largest mental health hospital is in part responsible for the unfortunate state of public spaces in BC.
@@clementihammock7572 😂😂
I truly hope that the rest of the world follows Japan's example.
To late brah....
No kidding, Singapore Changi Airport and Zoo toilets are equally good. 🤭
Let us all hope so!
@@pheart2381 better not! That´s not a toilet @1;51 but a hole in the floor which they forgot to close. No one in my country would call that thing "toilet"!
😂
I was traveling through San Diego recently, and stoped near seaport village to use the restroom.
Found an open public restroom, wandered in on the woman’s side and-
“There’s… no doors.”
No stall door, no entrance door, no doors period.
And from the entrance you had a full view of two of the door-less stalls.
I curiously peaked into the the third stall trying to decide if I had the courage to use a bathroom without doors, when I happened to spot a woman just sitting there on the toilet scrolling her phone.
There is such a thing as being too comfortable in a public restroom.
I apologized, turned around and hightailed it out of there.
Thank you to the google reviews that said there was a clean public restroom WITH doors nearby.
Same here, I hate those. I will eat cheap just to be able to use a restaurant restroom.
I'm from Westchester County New York and I now live in Tsukuba City Japan. In my view the toilets in Japan are perfect and there is always one there when you need it.. In NYC you can really get stuck because of the homeless/drug problem. There aren't many toilets you can use. The Japanese people are free. Their children can ride the trains unescorted. Their public toilets are beautiful because the citizens would never dream of making a mess let alone doing graffiti. Japan may have other failings but public safety isn't one of them.
High trust homogeneous society.
Hi I’m a fellow weschesteriet that is now out of NY living in Tucson Arizona the drug problem and homelessness problem is huge down here also it’s a shame I don’t use public bathrooms if I can help it
I am from slovakia. Seeing that we have 3times as many beds in psychiatric institutions as USA, despite USA having 3times as high GDP per capita, with all its drug users and clear mental health crisis is - INSANE.
How is this even real? How do you have 3 times the GDP per capita, massive drug crisis going on, literally people in streets (or even on tiktok) loosing their minds (all kinds of attacks, exposure, unhinged behaviour), and still have third of the hospital beds in psychiatric institutions? How is this even being tolerated by the population? Or do you have more hospital beds since the time the statistic in this video has been done?
@@buttnutt Culture of discipline and good education, they're not perfect but Japon is clearly one of the most safiest country in the world.
@@xlukas93the problem isnt as much the amount of psychiatric beds (though thats a problem as well), its really the cost. Most of the mentally ill, homeless, or drug addicts here have very little money and psychiatric care here is extremely expensive. Even with more space, the people who need help most still won't get it because they have no money.
As someone who's been to Japan recently as a Canadian who lives in Toronto I'd say the biggest shock as a visitor in Japan was how MANY toilets were readily available for use and how many places you could find toilets. Comparing Tokyo as an example to Toronto, if you're taking public transit the odds you'll find a washroom let alone one that's not out of service is basically akin to playing the lottery. And God forbid its the middle of the night and you're in Downtown Toronto, trying to find a toilet is pretty much close to impossible
and only maybe 4 TTC stations have a toilet, kipling is one, bloor/younge, ect. but they are filthy.
Still can't find a trash can though :D
@@SandTiger42 Yet Tokyo is very clean. You can find hundreds of trash cans in NYC yet the city is totally filthy !! I even saw rats in the subway station !!
As someone who just saw Perfect Days, recently got diagnosed with an IBD condition and has been thinking about moving to Japan, this video sure felt like perfect timing!
I was hiking by the sea in Ubara. In the middle of nowhere in the woods I felt the call of nature. As I was wondering if I should hold it in or relieve myself off-trail, a public bathroom appeared. Although it was in a place that is not accessible by vehicule it was a complete small building, electrified and boasted the standard japanese hi-tech bidet toilet. It was also very clean and well-maintained. Sasuga, Nippon!
Naruhodo
Ok, so I went to Japan last year, and one thing struck me the most about the toilets; while they were amazing pretty much everywhere, that was offset by having the world's worst toilet paper.
I went last year as well and also noticed this! 90%+ had the thinnest, single-ply known to man! I think only one in a Ginza department store and one in Roppongi Hills had soft two-ply.
And that's why they have bidets... 😂
Same with napkins!! They're all covered in this weird wax, they don't absorb anything, I totally don't get it.
@@JesseMedlong I mean, yeah, and they're great. But then, you've still got to use like half a roll of the world's thinnest, least absorbent paper to dry yourself off.
Practically all Japanese women carry tissue paper in their purses. We don't usually use the toilet paper available in public bathrooms.
Even in Tokyo, “a couple of toilets were Graffitied and vandalized”….probably by some Canadian! 😓 😆
But seriously, the high standards for public restrooms here (not to mention Japanese people’s respect for public spaces) is something I really appreciate about living here.
I wish people in the United States would respect others... for that matter, I wish Americans had respect for themselves as well.
Benefits of a homogeneous high trust society.
This was very interesting to see, especially because where I live in Germany there are almost no public toilets in cities, mostly open private toilets. There are public toilets along the highways but they are generally dirty and unpleasent, except for the open private ones at rest stations.
I just want to point out one thing about AEDs. They do not restart a persons heart ( 15:44 ), they are designed to stop the heart. When the parts of a persons heart get out of sync with themselves the heart pumps very little blood. You doing CPR does help (I think) but it is not really possible to get the heart back in sync. So what the AED does, is, it electrecutes the person, stopping their heart and you have to do CPR to keep the person alive and to hopefully restart their heart. It is therefore vital that you follow the instructions of the AED exactly because if you touch the person while the AED delivers a shock you are likely to get electrocuted, too, and you can die from that. Also do not use an AED on a wet surface as you can shock yourself that way, too.
As a french, i hate the fact that you have to paid to pee in Germany. It must be a public service, like in Japan.
Unfortunately, when it's free, it's generaly dirty (it's also true in France, especialy on the highway/autobahn )
It is more cleaner these days, thanks to COVID, but it's not everywhere yet.
@@Eldiran1 We copied your toilet designs around Silicon Valley Ca and I agree that having to pay to use a self cleaning toilet is pretty silly.
@@Eldiran1 In French too we have to pay something like 1€ for peeing in lot of big stations and if you got your Pass Navigo it's "free" but very dirty; i never put my feet inside one of them but the smell gives me nausea.
I hope we will have clean people as is the case in Japan...
@@defeatSpace Because people are dirty... How many times i have to take a dump and people never flushing the toilet ? The toilet bowl sprayed with pee ? Paris and his suburb are disgusting and people are crying because you can't find a place to pee or your only choice is to pay...
Right, it's called "fibrillation", the heart quivers, instead of a regular pumping contraction. So as you say the device stops the heart, in the hope that the heart will restart itself, pumping in it's normal rhythm again. That doesn't require CPR, though the patient may still need it, but your natural "pacemaker" ought to recover by itself after the electric shock.
They have built-in ECGs, using the same contact pads. So they'll only fire when they detect it's appropriate to do so, on a fibrillating patient. Often there's a voice prompt too. Just follow the instructions, the machine is wise and does it all automatically.
I just watched an excellent movie called Perfect Days which follows the life of a Tokyo Toilet cleaner. What a coincidence!
What is it on?
@@s70driver2005 Good question !
Yeah, the actor also won the best actor award in the Cannes Flim Festival.
Given how much focus on cleanliness there was in Tokyo, I was always surprised when there was no soap in public washrooms, and it wasn't that uncommon.That and squat toilets often had me holding #2 until I got back to my lodging :D
Squat toilets are great for number 2. I wish more places used them.
LOL I hated when I taught at schools that ONLY had squat toilets. *shudder*
Are theg usable for both?
They are better than sitters IF you are physically able to squat AND you have relatively solid poops. If you have a splorty one, the cleaner will not have a Perfect Day. Gotta find that movie somehow, thanks to the commentors who mentioned it.
Public bathrooms are unglamorous but essential for urban life so thank you for covering them!
Some of these were quite glamorous. =
I visited Kyoto and Tokyo last week and your descriptions is pretty much what I observed and experienced. I had to use the public restrooms at different parks and it was muuuuuch appreciated.
To me the most striking aspect is that seemingly all of these Japanese toilets are free. In the two countries I am most familiar with, Poland and Sweden, there is usually a fee. In fact in Sweden even in shopping malls the toilets often cost money to use.
thats wild, in australia almost every single bathroom ive used is free, there are a few exceptions in rural areas at servos (petrol station) where there was a requirement that you have to buy something and then collect a key but those are rare. usually if the door isnt unlocked you would just have to ask for a key but almost all public bathrooms are unlocked and free anyway.
@@olliek6709 petrol station and restaurant toilets are also always free and only rarely require a proof of purchase. What I was referring to is the true public toilets that are just public toilets and not attached to any establishment in particular, especially ones that are their own separate building
I'm an ostomate, and I've _never_ seen a station for an ostomate before. I've never even heard of getting one that I could install in my private bathroom.
Yeah there are clearly marked signage and maps in some shoutengai that tell you where the bathrooms designed to help ostsomates are. It's so considerate!
i had one several month so i know how inconveniant it can be when you are outside and need to change it ., Iwasn't aware either that those kind of equipment existed, but it's great! Hope to see those more and outside of japan too!
You have my deepest sympathies AND respect. They were proposing an ostomy for me and started prepping me for it. After seeing 10+ doctors, I found someone who was able to help me without surgery.
@grayrabbit2211 Chad md
I love your videos. You have a very comforting voice. Please dont stop uploading anytime soon i really need these videos in my life right now
The first video that introduced me to your channel was about Japanese home bathrooms, nearly a decade later and this is still so fascinating!
This was REALLY COOL! It's such a strange subject to make a video about, but I would have to say that YOU are the PERFECT PERSON to do it!!! (and not just for Japan) You are very matter of fact and don't ad opinions that would steer the content. You are a very good journalist. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! :D
My partner and i really loved the baby holders, umbrella latches and ambient noise buttons. I loved the urinal grab bars cuz of the accessibility for older people but it also kept my clothes from touching the toilet. I loved how frequently the toilets were cleaned and maintained. Also, didnt love the lack of privacy for men's urinals but i would easily trade that privacy for the mass availability of public urinals
Out of curiosity, why did you love the "ambient noise buttons"? Are you really that worried people will hear you make 'toilet noises' in the toilet??
@DavidCruickshank having the option is great because it can be embarrassing and undignified to be identified as the source of a terrible odor or loud fart. Do you take offense that the option exists or that other people might think or behave differently than you when it comes to pooping in public?
@@jeddulanas9262 I think your comment is unnecessarily passive aggressive, but to answer your question no i don't take offensive, cause that would be silly, but i do question why as a society we would ever judge someone for making smells and fart noises in a toilet when that is there stated use. It would be like judging people for eating in a food court or buying things in a store, it's the literal purpose of that area. There is no dignified way to expel waste and as such people shouldn't be made to feel embarrassed by it.
I just returned from Tokyo last week, and the different public service culture compared to where I live in Europe floored me. I had to use these public toilets in a hurry a couple times and I was swearing I would have to "sacrifice" myself by doing so. They were crystal clean, futuristic and you could flush just by extending your hand towards a button. My appreciation of Japanese people's respect for common areas increased tenfold, what a beautiful country.
Thanks for covering this topic! Glad you are keeping well hydrated and on the lookout for nice bathrooms. I think people are embarrassed to talk about it but it is such an important need. Like Uytae mentioned, everyone needs a restroom while out in town, but especially our most vulnerable such as the elderly, children, the disabled, pregnant ladies, etc.
3:41 That dragon style toilet gave me game of thrones vibe & yes I would totally use it !
Perfect timing. I have just watched the film "Perfect Days" and was impressed with the bathrooms that they show. :) However, I have been to Japan and all I remember about public toilets is that I had to use a disgusting bathroom in Kyoto. It is good to learn more about the topic in your video. Thanks.
Kyoto = Chinese tourists
The urinals being visible seems to be somewhat common in Europe too. Here in Portugal they are always next to the bath room door, and everyone outside will see you when someone goes in. I've even seen one in a hospital where people in the waiting room could see it inside, it was so weird. I've seen people saying that in Amsterdam and Brussels, public urinals are very much "open air", with only a small part covering where your "business" is.
I've also been in a music festival where the public urinal was a plastic triangle with 3 sides, and a hole in each side for you to pee in and small plastic side protections. In the middle of the public. The only way to have some privacy is to have a large back. Feels a lot like that open urinal you showed.
I'm not European, so it was kinda shocking when I realized that it was intentional, and not a design mistake someone made, or builders being lazy.
your channel it's amazing, 20 minutes speaking about public toilets and i enjoyed it lol
I LOVE your videos !
Carry on the good work ! and I especially like all the different subjects, and I would never guess i would be interested in watching a 20 min video about toilets in japan.
You did a very good research, thank you !
I'd love a documentary of your visits in the natural reserves or your hikes please !
I do a lot of cycling around Japan and yeah there are tons of places to pee. Even in rural areas there are plenty of parks, convenience stores, and other public toilets. There are also tons of places to buy drinks with all the vending machines and convenience stores. I’ll often spend the whole day riding around, drinking and peeing my way through the mountains and valleys of Japan.
Me too a lot of cycling around Japan and the toilets and vending machine (and convenience stores) are a real blessing
I work as a truck driver in Sweden and I live in Gothenburg which is the second largest city, public toilets in the city are gross and I don't think I've ever used them. But outside a big city they are a bit better but it can vary a lot, but I still avoid using them if I have to do number two. Now gas station toilets are good like 95% of the time in my experience, they're cleaned regularly, well lit and the always have soap and paper towels.
very informative as usual. Quality content 100%
Very interesting and informative. Thanks for sharing.
私は日本に住んでいてよく駅やコンビニのトイレを利用しますが、だいたい綺麗です。
公園のトイレはトイレットペーパーがなかったり、不審者がいたら怖いのでよっぽどのことがない限り利用しません。
でもこの動画を見て東京の公園のトイレは進化してるな〜って感じました。動画ありがとうございます！
日本に旅行すると京都や大阪、東京に皆さん行かれると思います。
その県や近隣の県はこの動画でも紹介されたように飲食店や駅などどこにでもトイレがあるので困らないと思います。
場所が分からなかったら気軽に聞いて使ってくださいね！
Have a nice trip!
You too!
the way video is presented is pleasing to watch and voice is great🧡
Many thanks for your informative video. As a frequent traveller to Japan, I appreciate that the public toilets in some of the department stores there also provide a separate area for ladies to do their hair & make-up 😊.
Thank you very much. I do enjoy your documentary style videos. I am glad to see more of them. :)
I had not considerd this aspect of living, but thinking about what it is like to use these kinds of facilities in my area, it does seam that the ones you previewed in Japan are much more inviting and comfortable, as well as a lot less scary or intimidating.
Two of my favourite things: Japan and pooping.
Grabbing the popcorn and sitting back to enjoy the full 19 minutes of this video.
Your Videoquality is so great!
I’ve been planning a trip to Tohoku, and as someone with digestive issues, I was really happy to see how many public toilets there are. Some of the ones that show up on Google maps even have reviews and multiple pictures.
I was quite surprised that so many Japanese locals don't use the outdoor public toilets as I thought they were already pretty clean and safe.
Here in the netherlands we do have clean toilets, but by older cities, or train station or by car-pomps can be dirty, or be graffiti or burn spots and smelly
And also we don't have a whole lot of public ones (there are typically more old dirty urinals than sit-down toilets, so women end up using bathrooms in hospitality businesses), although some cities are starting to make an effort on this front. Also, public bathrooms at train stations require a fee
I lived for a few years in the NL and frankly I knew more bushes than public toilets. Maybe in city centers you can find a public toilet every now and then . But try finding one outside while being on an excursion.
And even bushes / trees can be hard to find. I remember a terrible ride by bike I had from Leiden to Utrecht where I thought from the map that close to a winding river I might be able to find a bush just to find out that it was all build up by luxury houses and absolutely no solitary space in sight. And obviously no public toilet what so ever. Desperation for a place to relieve myself set in.
That was a lot of research and work. Thanks. In So. California, I tend to use the restroom in stores or coffee shops.
As a Japanese resident I do find toilets great and clean. But I've always had difficulty finding one despite their abundance. If your in a place like Shibuya or Shinjuku, don't try and find a toilet in a conbini (or even a garbage bin) they are almost never there. My tip is to look for a small department building. Head to the top floor where some of the restaurants are (if you can make it) via elevator. I've found because no one bothers to go all the way up to the top in contrast to first floor, that those toilets are super clean and barely occupied.
I've travelled to Japan every year for the past 10 years & I love the fact that there are toilets everywhere and they are always clean. I also travel to Europe & the toilets are difficult to find. I'm from Australia & I wish our public toilets were as convenient & clean as Japan's.
This relieves me to know!
Outside of the toilets in forests etc, even 14 years ago, most toilets were awesome in cities, and most private places let me use toilets even if i wasn't buying anything (not often needed - we mostly bought something or ate in a restaurant so it wasn't necessary). I think they realize that tourists don't always understand where the public toilets are.
1:08, i like how machines care to say things right.
Awesome video Greg. I did notice that on my last trip in October, many public bathrooms still don't have soap. I think one particular instance was Meguro Sky Garden. Kind of a nice urban park building yet their bathroom (even with a washlet toilet!) didn't have soap 😅. I think also Hibiya Park, arguably in a nice area, also didn't have soap -- but I do remember visiting that same toilet in Feb 2020 and at the time due to COVID they had the alcohol spray.
Its hard to find public bathrooms in NYC. Its not out in the open like in Tokyo unless you are in Central Park. Other toilets are either for shoppers only or have to buy something at a fast food place to use the restroom. The amount of times I almost wet my pants cuz I couldn’t find a bathroom that I don’t have to buy something for is crazy. I wish people of NYC has the same respect as the people of Japan so there can be more safe and clean public bathrooms. Even bathrooms in major train stations are grossly dirty and easily get backed up and flood. You need a bladder of steel to be out in NYC.
It’s because NYC hates homeless people having access to bathroom facilities. Its the same reason that they got rid of comfortable benches. They can’t stand them having access to basic needs so now bathrooms need a password or a key.
In England they have solved the problem of public toilets by assuming that as they are unattended and so filthy and vandalised that no one in their right mind would go anywhere near them, let alone inside of one, they closed them all and deny that there is a need for them. The assumption is that if you do need to go, you could use an ally or a hedge where the rain might dispose of such, or that a road sweeper (I think there was one in Cornwall about 40 years ago) would deal with it.
Nice video!
Thanks for the great video!
I do miss the clean toilets in Japan. They are mostly very clean! The only place that was really bad was at Yasaka Shrine (poop everywhere).
I did notice that there's no hand soap, so I got paper soap from Oomomo!
It's completely fair to say that Japan's public toilet service is among the best in the world, and convenience store saturation plugs any holes (or relieves them?) when needed.
I'm grateful you showed some of the uglier toilets too. Many mid size train stops in Shikoku have poor privacy, unisex bathrooms that I can't really imagine using the urinals for. The stalls themselves are good doors but all squat toilets. And I have yet to see any soap in a toilet down here. Most Japanese are expected to carry their own sanitizer or soap along with the hand towel as you know. Shikoku doesn't have space toilets, but things are generally adequate! A big step up over NA!
This is the important information that I've needed to know all my life, even without knowing it. Life changing. Go toilets!
I was flying to Singapore from Canada and had an overnight stay in Narita. Spent the day at the mall and checking out Narita, I can vouch that I was amazed at the public toilets in Japan. It’s next level.
That little platform that comes down for you to change your clothes. Is genius you have no idea how many times I’ve struggle with that specially changing clothes in between spots when you’re traveling or going to the gym or something after work. They should definitely have those in gyms Bathrooms
San Jose, CA used to have paid public toilets in the early 2000's that cleaned themselves when done. There was a time limit, 15 minutes or so, and then the door would automatically open but you got a warning and could extend the time with a button press. Eventually, druggies started using them to shoot up.
so @ 14:55 you mention that small sink right next to the toilet... I THINK that's for wheelchair bound people that don't want to use their dirty hands to get back into their chair, so they can just wash their hands while still on the commode and THEN put their hands on their chair.....
... or if you've got a mess on your hands and you don't want to pull your pants back up without washing them first...
ADMIT IT!! We have ALL had to AT LEAST ONCE waddle over to the sink after getting our hand(s) messy because we don't wanna touch our pants without washing them first... lol 🤪🤣🤣
Nice
Pro tip: Here in Australia, I would say there's plenty of public bathrooms available. And we also have a lot of pubs, so if the public bathrooms are unavailable you'll find one in there too! 😂
now do vending machine! also its nice to have you back greg, i miss watching your documentary videos!
In Toronto we have a handful of public toilets in very large parks, but almost none elsewhere. There are only five subway stops in our entire network that have washrooms, and they tend to be at the far ends of the lines (we have 2 lines total) for commuters coming in from way out of town.
I feel like in the US (or at least whete I'm at in California) you'd be hard pressed to find any bathroom that's cleaned regularly/has toilet paper/has stalls that don't have gaps big wide enough to look through/doesn't have graffiti or broken equipment/doesn't require a key or purchase to access/etc. The struggle is real! 😩
@salty_pearl SoCal? I hope they find a cure 🙏
I don't remember exactly were but Tokyo also has a mall with a restroom with a screen outside that shows the number of stalls and occupancy.
Japan knows what's up.
I watched the film 'Perfect Days' recently, and it was in the film that I saw these public toilets for the first time. I'd never come across them in real life during my travels in Tokyo, so it was really eye opening.
In Shikoku Tokushima, some of the Eki'sToilet was adopted and maintained regularly by Local school.
I was kind of surprised with the amount of bathrooms without soap in Japan. I also noticed the hand dry was more often than not broken.
Most of them aren't broken, they were turned off to stop the spread of covid and haven't been turned back on since
Actually the hand dryer might not be broken. A lot of them got switched off for coronavirus and some never got turned on again. But yes, annoying.
I think Japanese people tend to not use hand dryers much, because we were often taught from a young age to carry handkerchiefs.
On my first trip to Japan we had to travel from Fukuoka to Hiroshima one day. The night before we had one of the best but also SPICYEST ramen ever tasted... and it came to... collect its bill when we were just a stop away from our destination. I usually don't use public toilets for a #2, especially in a train station, but the ones in Hiroshima's were top of the art. Clean, with all the amenities, spacious, A+. I've also had my share of not so good toilets, but that was the exception. Also, I agree on the shared responsibility: everybody has to do their part to keep things in top conditions (yes, I flushed multiple times and cleaned after myself after the SPICY RAMEN affair 😂)
12:38 this can’t be on accident, poor Akko haha
Funny bathroom story from the last time I was in Tokyo. I can't remember which ward we were in, but I was in desperate need of a toilet. Searching high and low for what might be a bathroom. Ran across a building with signage that MAYBE suggested a bathroom. It was that of a pink and blue silhouette figure which one may see on the entrances of bathrooms. This was on a 5-6 story building. Go in, hoping for something. But nope. The signage was indicating if the floor was for men, women, or both. It was an adult media store. I think we went up 4 flights before figuring out how to turn around. Eventually found a toilet, in the nick of time. So yeah, check the signs. :D
After watching Perfect Days, this is the perfect video to watch
After watching this video, I think that Canada got the short end of the stick with public toilets. I have a micro bladder and have used many washrooms across Alberta and BC (and more than a few bushes). The level of cleanliness in the Japanese toilets is a far cry above many here and I rarely even see a public toilet that's not inside a business. And parks generally have outhouses with no running water.
In Kumamoto station they have displays outside the toilets to show occupancy / not in use stalls
I like toilets by stations...😊,heating ones❤❤also in the mountains toilets by shops or little restaurants, also further on the mountains temples have toilets, there always clean😊❤
I had visited for about a month recently. I found that Kanto region in general had a higher level of cleanliness than in North America. I was usually very impressed by the public restrooms. Cities like Nagoya or Kanazawa took that to the next level where I can only think of a single bathroom in Kanazawa that was undesirable which was in a residential konbini. Kansai region, however, is really nasty. Kyoto was shockingly dirty and very few clean toilets. Many of which did not have hand soap, sanitizer of any kind, nor even toilet paper. I felt much more pressure in Kansai region (except Nara) to carefully select my toilets.
Once, my Japanese Host Family came to visit me and travel in Mexico, they came with some friends and they were all very disappointed at the public and not so public toilets, they found having to pay to use a toilet at gas stations was baffling. One of my host dad's friends asked me to become the president of Mexico and to abolish paid toilets. lol
In the U.K., public disabled toilets have a lock on them and there is a key called a RADAR key that disabled people can buy from their council that will fit every single lock, meaning these toilets are accessible 24/7.
Now, in my home town, at our relatively new Bus Interchange (it’s been open for about 2 years), there is a disabled toilet and a wheelchair accessible wet room complete with toilet, shower, a rise and fall sink, hoist and changing table which is adult sized.
There are also regular toilets too.
All of these toilets have opening hours and are shuttered up when closed - yes, even the disabled ones !
So, you’d expect that these toilets would close after the last buses stopped running, wouldn’t you ?
WRONG !
They close at 9.30pm Monday to Saturday. The last buses are around 11.30pm Monday to Thursday and 2am on Friday (Saturday morning) and Saturday (Sunday morning).
On Sunday they close at 4pm, despite the last buses not being until around 11pm
If an able-bodied person needs the toilet after close, then they can usually find a back street or trees to obscure their view if they need to urinate - it’s illegal - but if you need to go, then people do so. But if you’re disabled like me, that ISN’T possible !
Why this bus station has made it more difficult for disabled people to toilet is beyond me !
I don’t live far from the town centre, but I’ve asked many a bus driver if they can drive a bit faster when I’ve been bursting to go for a pee !
I must contact the company that runs this station to see if they intend to change this policy, because it’s ridiculous !
Toilet situation in the u.k. is pretty bad. My nearest public loo,very dilapidated,costs 50p to use. My mum has a key to use public disabled toilets and sometimes they are absolutely filthy.
i hate it when i have a train ticket and can't use it to access the toilets at the train station
I wish we had more bathrooms like this in America. I have a health issue where I often need to use the restroom and it is so scary that many places you will have no idea if there will be one nearby, or if it is clean/safe.
"Hi Toilet! Flush Toilet!" "Please say it clearly one more time". LMAO!
No gaps in the stalls, generally they have occupied lighting so no awkward knocks or pulls on the door, a ton of em have ungendered stalls with the wash on the outside so anyone can use no matter your gender.
Convenience store toilets where often a life saver when quickly having to go, not all convenient storeshave them, but if you check 3 Combini's you will find one.
The mass availability of publicly available, publicly funded toilets is amazing! It contributes to the cleanliness of the country. Better than major US cities where people are forced to relieve themselves in public if we don't have access to publicly accessible private toilets
I need that white noise thing!
Japan seems like it would be a good place to live if you have IBD. I know I've had to run for a toilet with little warning plenty of times
Good one Greg. Iceland might have lots of public toilets but in my experience they all require payment (credit card) and typically cost around USD 1.80. Not cheap but there is no alternative - almost no trees in Iceland!
Also the trains have toilets (and some busses)! Many trains, not only shinkansen, have toilets on board. I found it surprising when I was on a local train in Izu that there was a toilet room in my car.
ROFL. You think that a train with restrooms is something special? You must have never been in Europe.
🙄When I travel through western Europe by train in the mid 90's of course I saw restrooms on the long haul trains like the Eurostar, but like I sad above I was surprised to see them on some local trains in Japan.
its always nice to see public toilets being clean and safe.
too many people in the west have a "its not my job so why should i care about keeping things clean for others" attitude, then go on to complain about the state of things
Australia has toilets everywhere, usually clean and functioning, and even sometimes with hot showers.
In some parts of the UK street toilets double as cash machines!
how else are you going to pay to use them? (probably)
We have to pay 1 euro for the toilets in The Netherlands...😢 Love the free and clean Japanese toilets and I remember the Umeda Sky Building in Tokyo where they had this ultra fancy restroom with everything a woman needed and even more; cotton swabs, cotton balls, soft tissue paper (also in small packages to take away), hygiene products, make up cleaners, hand and face lotions and several stuff I didn't even know what it was but I love it all as it was like a free candy store 😅
In America you have to scrape your knuckles on the floor under the tolit paper mounts and grab one see thru paper square at a time; the floor will be covered with #1 and there is no place to put anything down.
14:28 i went into that restroom on my trip back and it was super cool on top of beint very clean
Japan and Singapore impress me with their public bathrooms. As someone who lives in the US, I wish more public bathrooms were like the ones in Singapore and Japan.
The Nicest public toilet I've been to in Japan is on the observation deck of the Sunshine 60 Tower in Ikebukuro.
Anecdotally, I suspect that more publicly accessible private toilets are being removed. I found it very difficult to find a konbini in Shibuya, Asakusa or Shinjuku with a publicly accessible toilet. I suspect that overtourism is contributing to it because tourists may not always buy something if the buying suggestion isnt enforced. Eventually i just got accustomed to using the toilets at the eki instead of the konbini.
Yeah, I think overtourism is hurting publicly accessible but private toilet access in the popular areas that you mentioned. Still no problem in most areas of Japan from my anecdotal experience.
Most conbini in the city don't have toilets. Usually there are public or publicly accessible toilets nearby though which is good. Shopping centers, parks, stations, even shrines and temples might have them.
@@LifeWhereImFrom why are there no soap in the public restroom in Japan you didn't explain that on the video
@@mrnekokittycatsaki1419 I don't know if there is a good explanation. Might have to do a little investigation.
@@LifeWhereImFrom All
2:03 I do that with my soap too!!!! That way you won't drop it, and you can also hang it up on a hook if you want to keep it away from the water in the shower.
If you are in a big city, go to a large building and go to the 2nd or 3rd floor to use those bathrooms.
They are even nicer and not crowded like the bathrooms on the 1st floor or basement amongst all the retails stores.
Also, every city / government office has bathrooms. Even gas stations have restrooms that if you behave you can use.