I know, I know, what do you mean ‘how to use the toilet’?! Of course I know how to use a toilet, I’m not a toddler, we have them in my home country too!
Well, it’s not like you will have to potty-train all over again, but the toilets in Japan can be quite unique compared to what you may be used to.
So, in order to avoid any awkward situations, it’s beneficial to know what you can expect when stepping into a Japanese washroom.
It can be said that Japan sets the gold standard of toilets worldwide. Japanese public toilets are notoriously spotless and are often equipped with plenty of coat/bag hangers and even little shelves to set your phone or other belongings down on.
Clean and convenient!
There are two ends of the Japanese lavatory spectrum, from a high-tech futuristic toilet to a super old-fashioned hole in the ground! Yet another everyday example of how Japan manages to keep its traditional roots alive, while still pioneering the world’s technological advances.
Japanese-style toilets
Let’s start off with the traditional Japanese toilet – the squat toilet.
These are referred to as washiki (和式 / わしき), which literally translates to ‘Japanese-style’.
These are very basic toilets which almost look like a urinal built horizontally on the ground. As they are essentially a hole in the floor with no seat, the only way to use them is by squatting down, making sure to face the direction of the hooded part. Quite the primal feeling.
The flush lever is often a metal rod-like stick generally located near that hooded part where the pipes connect. It is usually quite low to the ground and close to the toilet bowl so can be flushed using your foot, almost like a pedal.
Japanese people would have grown up using squat toilets and as such become accustomed to using them, however if it’s your first time encountering one it will probably take a couple of tries to get used to.
Squat toilets are definitely not accessible for everyone. For those with mobility issues or even unsuitable clothing, they can prove to be quite a hassle.
Luckily, in many cases where there are squat toilets there are also likely stalls with western-style toilets.
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Just be aware that rural areas with old shrines, restaurants, train stations and the like may not have any other options.
Western-style toilets
Western-style toilets are known as youshiki (洋式 / ようしき) and will be specified as such on the stall door, therefore, it’s super handy to be able to recognise the two different kanji phrases of washiki (和式) and youshiki (洋式).
As you may have guessed, the western-style toilet is a sitting toilet. They can be found in varying degrees of technological sophistication.
Some are just your rudimentary toilet, toilet paper and flusher, enough to get the job done! On the other hand, Japan’s high-tech toilets are kind of famous at this point, and I have to say they are quite the treat.
It can be a bit overwhelming at first, I mean why does a toilet need so many bells and whistles?! But once you get your head around it, these toilets will likely become one of the things you will miss most upon leaving Japan!
Some toilet lids automatically lift when you enter the bathroom, and the toilet seats are heated, which is especially great if you need to use the loo during the night or early morning when it always seems to feel like sitting on a toilet made of ice.
The main attraction with these high-tech toilets – often called ‘washlets’- is probably the bidet. These smart toilets have a retractable nozzle that sprays warm water for the purpose of cleaning after using the toilet.
A button panel can usually be found on the side of the toilet or fixed to the wall. Using the buttons you can adjust a multitude of settings, like the water pressure, temperature and position of the nozzle.
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Common buttons found on a Japanese washlet
| English | Kanji | Hiragana | Romaji |
| Melody/water sound | 音姫 | おとひめ | otohime |
| Volume | 音量 | おんりょう | onryou |
| Bidet | ビデ | びで | bide |
| Rear | おしり | おしり | oshiri |
| Drying | 乾燥 | かんそう | kansou |
| Stop | 止(まる) | と(まる) | to(maru) |
| Temperature settings | 温度設定 | おんどせてい | ondo setei |
| Water pressure | 水勢 | すいせい | suisei |
| Weak | 弱(い) | よわ(い) | yowa(i) |
| Strong | 強(い) | つよ(い) | tsuyo(i) |
| Deodorisation | パワー脱臭 | ぱわーだっしゅう | pawaa dasshuu |
| Nozzle cleaning | ノズルクリーン / 掃除 | のずるくりーん / そうじ | nozuru kuriin / souji |
| Flush | 流す | ながす | nagasu |
| Big (flush) | 大 | だい | dai |
| Small (flush) | 小 | しょう | shou |
If you have a chance, definitely play around with the buttons and settings. Just make sure to be sitting when you turn on the nozzle, or it will be the wall that will be getting the wash!
General Japanese restroom etiquette
Toilet etiquette in Japan is centered around cleanliness and consideration for others. 9 times out of 10 the toilets are spotless, and so it is only right that you leave them as you found them.
Cleanliness
In order to leave the restroom how you found it, be sure to wipe up any splashes, flush the toilet fully and do not leave any scraps of toilet paper on the floor. In Japan, the toilet paper is flushed down the toilet and there is a separate bin for feminine hygiene products and other rubbish.
Sound/privacy
As you can see from the image above, modern Japanese toilets often have a sound button. In fact, the sound may even automatically play once you approach the toilet. This sound offers a sense of privacy and can also show consideration for other bathroom users. If you don’t need it, you can switch it off.
Toilet slippers
In most Japanese homes, traditional restaurants or ryokans (traditional Japanese inns), it may be required to wear special toilet slippers when using the restroom. They can be found just inside the door where you can switch out your regular indoor slippers for the toilet slippers – just don’t forget to take them off afterwards, a common Japanese faux pas!
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Hand towels
In Japan, carrying a personal hand towel is considered normal etiquette. Many Japanese people carry a hand towel in their handbags to dry their hands after washing them. It’s quite common to find a bathroom without hand towels or air dryers.
I noticed that ever since the covid pandemic, there are much less hand dryers across Japan, likely due to concerns over spreading droplets. Hence, a little hand towel is a good investment for your trip to Japan!
They are easily found in Japanese shops and come in a range of designs, from embroidered initials to famous characters, so it also makes a cute souvenir.
Japanese toilet vocabulary
| English | Kanji | Hiragana | Romaji |
| Toilet / bathroom | トイレ | といれ | toire |
| Toilet / restroom | お手洗い | おてあらい | otearai |
| Toilet / powder room | 化粧室 | けしょうしつ | keshoushitsu |
| Men’s toilet | 男子トイレ | だんしといれ | danshi toire |
| Women’s toilet | 女子トイレ | じょしといれ | joshi toire |
| Accessible (multipurpose) toilet | 多目的トイレ | たもくてきといれ | tamokuteki toire |
| Help button | 呼出 | よびだし | yobidashi |
| Japanese-style toilet | 和式 | わしき | washiki |
| Western-style toilet | 洋式 | ようしき | youshiki |
| Vacant | 空き / 空室 | あき / くうしつ | aki / kuushitsu |
| Occupied | 使用中 | しようちゅう | shiyouchuu |
| Out of order | 故障中 | こしょうちゅう | koshouchuu |
| Sanitary bin | サニタリーボックス | さにたりーぼっくす | sanitarii bokkusu |
| Baby changing | おむつ交換台 | おむつこうかんだい | omutsu koukandai |
| Baby seat | ベビーチェア | ベビーちぇあ | bebii chea |
| Hand towel | ハンカチ / ハンドタオル | はんかち / はんどたおる | hankachi / hando taoru |
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Hannah is a half Irish/half Japanese girl living in Ireland. Her love for Japan and the Japanese language led her to studying languages and translation in university where she specialised in Japanese. She spent a year studying abroad at Rikkyo University in Tokyo. In her free time, Hannah enjoys using her sewing machine to upcycle clothes and create new pieces!