That's usually my rule here in Japan. The toilets are clean, but can come in such a great variety of configurations. Then there are sometimes printed instructions on their proper use. Unfortunately on Saturday, I broke my own rule and went into a toilet that was attached to the storefront where I was taking a lesson in weaving. The toilet unit was a variation of the hole in the floor type that I hadn't seen before, raised up to about half of the height of a "Western" toilet
but no seat, so you clearly weren't meant to get comfortable. The really unique feature was that the pipes, that you sometimes can hold on to for balance, had pieces of barbed wire attached to them to discourage such behavior! And there was me with no camera. You'll just have to imagine.
PS Toilets in Japan are never called bathrooms, because that is the separate room with the tub in it. Rest Room is also an American euphemism. The Japanese polite term is "Washing Hands Room".
7 comments:
Living in Japan sounds a lot more tricky than I imagined!
Can you imagine if you didn't notice the wire an lost your balance? Yikes!
Are the people very friendly?
I have found in general that many people I come across are quite friendly. Many are willing to try to help you if you are lost or need information on the street. Many are put off if they think you can not understand Japanese and they don't know English. Like most other places, if you admire their child or dog (or even cat!) they are ready to talk.
That's interesting... so language is of the essence, huh? It's nice that animals can bridge the gap sometimes! :)
Happy Thanksgiving! We have so much to be thankful for, even in the midst of diffult times! Thank you for your service!
Hi Georgia- I am thankful for your email updates but truly LOVE the blog and will have to make a habit of getting to it. The photos make me miss being there-bittersweet.
Thanks for your faithfulness.
I finally have video skype. Maybe we can chat soon?
In Chinese, it's also "Washing Hands Rooms" !
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