Blog #1: Japan's Toilet Culture and Manners ~ First Impressions

First Impression of Tokyo and Kyoto
January 3-4, 2018 

 Toilet Culture: We arrive at Narita International airport in Tokyo late afternoon after an easy Air Canada flight from Seattle via Vancouver to Tokyo. The Canadian air hostess people were extremely friendly speaking Japanese, French and English with ease. John eagerly ordered the traditional Japanese dish on the menu having researched Japanese food all week. I stick with America food menu worried I might not like eating raw fish every day. Getting off the plane I head straight away for the bathroom and have my first big Japanese cultural event, perhaps this is a symbol of Japanese hospitality. John looking impatient wonders why I was in the bathroom for so long. I explain the bidet toilet (also sometimes called a “washlet”) offered a lot of surprises and options resulting in my having wet underwear and jeans. First I notice the automatic toilet lid opens and closes rather like the traditional bowing of the Japanese-Canadian airline hostesses. I think about how much time this automation would save me at home as I frequently am engaged in closing the toilet lid after John has been to the bathroom.  Then as I sit down I am amazed to find that the seats are heated. Moreover, on the toilet there are many control button options where I can choose the strength or pressure of the water stream nozzle (there are 5 levels), where to position the nozzle head (angled forward or backwards), consistency of the massage received and a deodorization option. 

There is also an adjustable music button that emulates a waterfall sound and is meant to conceal any sounds. Additionally there is a volume button to adjust the volume of the privacy flushing sound!  Finally, there is button for whether you want the flush to be regular or half strength depending on how much water you want to use. As I am busy trying to sort out all these options I realize that the nozzle position I have chosen is spraying water all over my underwear when I stand up. Apparently one must press the “stop” button before standing up. Since everything else was automated I didn’t realize that this water shower would continue forever until directed to stop. Certainly I must hire a coach to learn how to use this machine. 

Apparently these TOTO toilets cause less toilet paper to be used but have the disadvantage of consuming more energy. (5% of average energy in a home). However, I think perhaps less showers will be used thus offsetting the extra toilet water use. My later research indicates that 80% of Japanese have these toilets in their homes and the numbers are increasing in some countries. Of course, John the technology guru seems eager for us to upgrade our toilet at home but when I research their cost at $500 to $5000 dollars depending on how many options are chosen I argue it is ridiculous. Moreover, my first night in our hotel I found I was motivated to get up and use the toilet more frequently during the night just to try out options. I’m not sure this is an addiction I want to encourage.  So now that you know more than you wanted to know about my toilet habits I will move on to other Japanese cultural tidbits I learned in my first day of arrival. 

Bowing: We took the airport speed train to the Tokyo Station Hotel, a small lovely hotel attached to the station where we will take the train to Kyoto the next day. When we arrived we felt very welcomed with all the attendants greeting us with bowing and smiling, the traditional Japanese form of greeting or saying farewell indicating acceptance and understanding.  I tried to bow back but felt very artificial and awkward and realized this dance is a fine art and that is not as easy to do as it appears. My later research that night on the web indicated the hands should be extended downward with hands resting on legs, body bent, head down at 20-degree angle for just a second. It is important not to combine bowing with handshaking because for the bow your gaze is down with no eye contact to indicate humility and when you shake there is eye contact. Okay I decide I will go for the 20-degree head angle rather than the 45-degree bend which is reserved for very important people.   Getting to our room I discover that our room toilet has even more options than the airport toilet and the shower is amazing as the whole room turns into a shower including the bath tub. 

That evening we go out for a brief snack in the hotel bar.  While my snack arrives John’s bigger dish which we knew would take longer to cook does not come. After waiting 30-40 minutes we ask about it and discover they did not understand John had actually placed an order. It is clear that while the staff indicate with smiles and head nods that they understand English they actually do not. I resolve in the future to point to the visual place in the menu for the choice rather than rely on verbal communication.

Underground Rat Maze: We are up at 5 am with jet lag and because our room does not include nespresso begin our search for coffee at 7 am.  We discover that stores in the train station don’t open until 9 am and bigger restaurants don’t open until 11 am. Our hotel coffee is $12 a cup so we avoid the hotel for food.  We wander the maze of underground networks in the train station and eventually find an ATM machine and John navigates the machine to get “yen” (113 yen for one dollar).  Luckily there is an English translation option.  We had purchased SUICA pre-paid cards at the airport which can be used for buses, trains, kiosks, cafes and taxis but soon find there is an art to using these cards as they are not only used when you enter the stile but also when you leave the station. The card calculates how much you have used on the fare. There was an initial 500-yen deposit but after buying $15 of pressed butter sandwich cookies and several coffees soon John’s card was not accepted. 

The next task was figuring out how to “top up” the cards. Here the translation was less comprehensible. We wandered about this incredible maze trying to memorize where the right avenue was for getting our train for Kyoto at 11:30 am, where the return train to the airport was as well as where the myriad subway routes go. About 8:30 am the workers, mostly men in black suits, start arriving and the area is dense with crowds rushing to work. During this time, it is fascinating to people watch. This is one of my most enjoyable parts of traveling.

Where did I put my Suica card?  Why is this man depicted as old? 

Bullet Train to Kyoto: We take the super express Nozomo or bullet train to Kyoto which is 318 miles and 2 hours and twenty minutes away. The average speed of this train is 155 mph and it takes just over 2 hours. On board it does not feel as though we are going at such a great speed. Before getting on the train we see a group of women dressed in pink uniforms going in to clean and vacuum the train. Men dressed in blue uniforms clean the windows. The train staff bow to us respectfully. Along the way we briefly see Mount Fuji with its snow capped top.  

Variety of Bento Boxes for Purchase in Train Station

At the train station John had purchased a bento box as have other travelers for their lunches on the train. The traditional bento holds rice or noodles, fish or meat and cooked vegetables each tucked in its own compartment with food not touching each other and looking like an art project. 

Butter Cookies 

John enjoys this lunch while I eat one of the amazing press butter sandwich consisting of fresh butter, flour, fresh cream and eggs. These are definitely to die for. 

Our room garden

Hotel Kanra: We arrive at our small hotel (60 rooms) and are delighted with the Japanese minimalist style which is clean, uncluttered, with everything in light wood. We are served tea right away and feel welcomed to this peaceful place. At the entrance to every room is a small Japanese garden measuring about 10 square feet with rocks and plants.

 Our room has a low bed, low table and low chairs and we leave our shoes off at the entrance and use the slippers we are provided with. 

I look for a nespresso machine to make coffee and find only tea. I wonder what I will do without morning coffee. Can I convert to tea? Afterall my mother was British and I probably have tea brain neurons wishing to be released. John noticing the small chairs and tables jokes that the room was made for small people. I think that perhaps American furniture was made for giants.   

The bathroom has another variation on the toilet buttons and options that I need to learn. Unfortunately it does not automatically close the lid so I am still having to close the lid after John. There is a lovely cypress wooden bath and large shower room. Personally I resonate with the Japanese focus on cleanliness, simplicity and hospitality.

Ten Virtues of Tea

Has the blessing of all the Deities

Keeps the Five Viscera in harmony

Banishes drowsiness

Extinguishes unwanted desires

Promotes filial piety

Wards off disease

Drives away the Devil

Strengthens friendships

Promotes long life

Gives a peaceful death