les toilettes

In Japan, there are washiki (Japanese style, wah-she-key) toilets...these can be scary if you use them for the first time.

It's even scarier if there is no porcelain basin just a hole...if it is only a hole, make sure to secure your cell phone, glasses and anything that could fall in...

Let's just say that some remote areas of Japan (and train stations) still have these types of toilets...let's also just say that Satoshi "submerged" his cell phone there too...ahem!

Tamakikat took a photo of this "how to" sign, way back when she used a Japanese style toilet.

Oh, and girls, be sure to roll up your pants cuffs, you never know which way you'll pee while you are squatting...TMI, sorry!

Western toilets are called Yo-shiki (yoh-she-key).

If you see this teeny seat, it is for little kids.

Lift it up before using...

I once used a toilet which had a door so close to the toilet that it "rubbed" against the toilet to open and close.

Getting into the stall was a challenge.

Also, my knees touched the door when I used it, thank goodness I'm not 6-foot something...

That contraption on the wall that looks like a buoy is also for little kids to use the bathroom, I think.

The toilet paper holder we have in our apartment has a jagged edge to tear the paper.

Also, there is no springy rod in the middle to hold the toilet paper roll in place, just tabs, so much easier!

Attached to the cover of the toilet paper, there is a little "pouch" to hold another roll.

Our toilet has a sink attached to the back, so you can't leave spare rolls here like some homes in the US have.

When you flush, the water that comes out is what you are supposed to wash your hands with...not the most sanitary if you ask me...

In Japan, a lot of homes also "decorate" their toilet, if you go to interior shops you can buy covers for the toilet cover, the seat, the toilet paper holder, even a mat for the base of the toilet, some even come with slippers for the toilet.

The seat cover is a life-saver if you don't have a heated toilet on cold wintry mornings...we don't have a heated toilet...

Before you buy these accessories though, you need to know what type of seat you have...O, U or washlette.

Our apartment toilet is an O, and to put that cover on the seat of the toilet takes talent.

There is a plastic rod that slips through the cover and creates the "O", this is placed on the underside of the toilet seat, the rest of the cover is then pulled through the hole of the seat and wrapped on the seat...confusing, right?!

A detailed example of each type here (in Japanese sorry!)

You know what is sad though, the toilet we had at our previous apartment was a U, so now I have a useless U toilet seat cover around somewhere.

My parent's home's toilet...the spare roll is decorated with a "bear" cover.

My mother and I used to "fight" about the direction the roll faces....after I explained about our toilet in Japan, she understood why I always put the roll on in the direction I did.

Oh and a rule that my mom had, close the cover whenever you take out a new roll or anything from the cabinet above the toilet...let's just say I've dropped many things "in there" when I didn't follow that rule...

The last time I met up with Fiona, there were funny toilet messages in a bathroom at a mall we went to.

Click on the photo to read all of it.

I've probably missed some details, but I hope you enjoyed this post and "Always thank the spirits of toilets"