Button Update

A little while back I wrote about one of the buttons on the deluxe toilets they have here (if you want to see the post again: Flushing Sound)

One of the buttons I mentioned was the flushing sound button. I still think this is sort of a funny button but today I got an update. The bathroom that I used this morning on the way to our game had a sign that told about the various buttons. in both Japanese and English. It didn't say too much but it did say that if you pushed the flushing sound button the sound would go on for 25 seconds.
 
Since I was in a thinking area I stopped and racked my brain for why the button would be 25 seconds long. The only thing my college educated mind could help me come up with was that maybe this is the average time a person spends on "the jon" - not sure why you would need the flushing sound going for your whole seated experience, but maybe its the cool thing to do.  As I got to thinking about this though I sort of felt left out. If this is the case I would need to push the button a lot - like more than 10 times a lot. It would be great if they had a 12 minute and 16 second button, or, maybe a dial you could select the amount of time you wanted and when you hit the button it would 'flush' for that long. This would be my kind of rest area - if this is the cool thing to do of course.
I did happen to hit the button though just to see what it was like when I had grabbed some t.p. to blow my nose one day...it sounded like someone took a hand-held mic recorded the sound and they put it on playback. It wasn't the best quality but it sounded alright. And, forget about fooling the other people, even though I only threw my Kleenex in there, I fooled myself and started walking away before I realized I hadn't really flushed.

Instruction sheet revisited

If you read the post  Lets Make a Deal - Japanese Style you noticed an instruction sheet that I included as one of the pictures, I just thought I needed to point out one of the instructions, just in case you may have missed it.

Normally when you come across a sign that tells you not to do something it is referring to a pretty common behavior. For example you may see this sign:

This sign is telling people not to smoke as smoking is a fairly common thing for many people and without the sign people would continue to smoke in that place.
This is also true for parking:
 
Without this sign people would continue about normally and park in this location as driving a car and parking are normal behaviors.
This also holds true for other normal behaviors that aren't allowed at certain times like, no flash photography, no food or drink, no skateboards, no diving, etc...

With keeping that in mind, that there needs to be signs to help people refrain from certain behaviors that otherwise would be normal, lets take a look back at the instruction sheet for how to use a Western style toilet.
Please direct your attention to the lower right hand box:

Um.........?
Yes, please refrain from getting into a 4 point poochie pose and relieving yourself like Fido would. Thank you.

If I ever were to walk into a bathroom and see something that resembled this I think I don't think I would be able to go anywhere for the next 5 minutes. I would be rolling around on the ground, like something got me, as my stomach would be cramping from laughing so hard.

Actually....now that I think about it I understand why this is on the instruction sheet. The guy obviously forgot to lower his trousers as the sign doesn't say anything about that and is going to wet them. Good thing this saved him and he can continue on and go back to business as usual.

Flushing sound

Today I happened to see a button attached to one of the Japanese toilets that said flushing sound. I kind of got a chuckle out of this and wondered why they would a flushing sound button. Is it for when you are taking a long time and someone is waiting for you, so you can make them think you are farther along in the process than you are. Or is a button for kids to trick their parents into thinking they've gone potty so they can hop off the toilet. (Maybe what they should put is a button that says: its going to be a while, come back later or an electronic clock on the outside that displays how many more minutes you think you will be)
 
You may be thinking that the button is there because the toilets make no noise, but you'd be wrong. They make the same noise every other toilet I've had the pleasure of using makes. These aren't hybrid models that are super quite and you cant hear them when they are on, these are real live porcelain thrones that make as much noise as every other one.
If you can think of a good reason for this button leave a comment and let me know.

Lets make a deal - Japanese Style

Lets make a deal Japanese style

Have you ever seen the tv game show, lets make a deal? Well I feel like I was playing it the other day here in Japan. Only the way I was playing it was a little bit different than the game show. This has actually happened a number of times.
This post will tie into the other post title - Japanese Duece Bucket (http://katyandjoey.blogspot.jp/2013/02/deuce-bucket.html)
So I walked into the bathroom and needed a place to...."rest" so I came to the first door. I felt like the game show host was like, lets see what we have behind door number 1


You can see from the picture this isn't really what I was hoping for at all. This is a Japanese style toilet and basically every public bathroom area has them (maybe a lot of people have them in their houses I don't know). I try to go to the weight room if I want to do squats and don't really care
to do it in this venue. (People's legs must be pretty strong here)

So the game show host in my head moved on to the next door....lets see
what we have behind door number 2.


Same deal.
Now I was starting to get a little nervous as this time practice was going to start in 15 minutes or so and I am not sure where else I would be able to run to get the task at hand completed.

So, I traded in what was behind door number 2 for the last door, door number 3....And, walla! I found what I was looking for.  A regular toilet.



Here when you stop at a rest area there are pictures outside the stalls that show what lays in waiting for you behind the door and will say whether it is a Japanese style toilet or if it is an western-style toilet. I have been fortunate enough to have always been able to find the western-style (knock-on-wood) and hope to not find myself faced with the prospect of what was behind door number 1 or 2.
The saying goes....when in Rome - but I think if I can find a place to sit
and avoid the deep squats all together I will be winning.

I'm not sure when the Western style toilet was introduced, but I found this
"instruction sheet" quite interesting.
 

And if you are wondering how to use a Japanese-style toilet here you go:

Deuce Bucket

When we got to Japan back in August, the first thing I noticed when we got off the plane (other than the fact that Katy, Myla and I weren't in the majority with the way we looked) came in the bathroom. The toilets are deluxe. Here instead of just having a place to rest and do your deeds you have an array of options.

As you can see in the picture the toilet has a little arm that extends out. On the arm are some controls. One of the the buttons will shoot a narrow stream of water towards your back side and with the controls you have the ability to control the strength of the water. This is great if you ever find yourself in the pickle of one or two sheets of tp as it can help you get clean. Some of the toilets even have a button for a powerful deodorizer....I think its obvious why that might be a plus.

If your lucky enough to find yourself perched atop of a more deluxe model, you are blessed with even more controls. Like the basic toilets there is the option for the narrow stream of water. Another button will shoot a non-narrow stream of water towards your back side, covering more area. Again you have the ability to control the strength. The last water-shooting button, I believe is for women, and I think it will basically spray you everywhere with water. I have tried the first two, but haven't pushed that third one. Other options include a fan that will dry your booty, the ability to control the temp of the water that is squirting you, the ability to control the position of the water squirting you (whether it is high or low), and my favorite option of all - the heated toilet seat. I guess this really isn't an option...more of just something that comes with the toilets. I probably should have listed this under the basic toilet as I would be hard pressed to remember the last non-heated toilet seat I sat on. Some of the deluxe versions even let you control the temp of the seat and the toilet is always plugged in so the seat doesn't have to heat up. You always sit down to a nice, warm, cozy and delightful treat for your rumpus.
This is what the control panel looks like on a deluxe version.

If you look back at the first picture in this post. You will see what looks like a faucet sticking out the top of the tank. Its exactly what it is. After you flush the toilet, water comes out of the faucet and fills the top part so it is ready for the next flush. But, since it is not contained inside like the toilets back home and sitting on top, out in the open, you are basically able to wash your hands with the water...then, whether you touch the water or not, it continues down into the tank where sits until the next flush. Heck, you could even use the water for something else....like, to fill up your water bottle............joking. Although you probably could, the whole water, toilet, toilet water thing doesnt really seem to do it for me. Altough it is coming out of a faucet and probably good to go, unless I have four legs, collar, and a wagging tail I think I'll stick to the water from the kitchen faucet or a big bottle from the store. Capish?

And last but not least.....you daily ninja tip.
As you know bathrooms are also called rest rooms. Here in Japan many of the stalls/restrooms are quite small. With that in mind, if you ever find yourself in need of some rest or sleep, here is how you do it.