The Quirky side of Japan

I wanted to show you a little bit of the true Japanese spirit.

They are amazingly considerate. I had heard that said before we arrived, but I didn't really understand.

Here are just a few random examples. (What can I say, I am in a random mood today.)

When there is construction that has to be done, the Japanese want to make sure that you know they are sorry for inconveniencing you. The sign translates to, "We apologize for trouble. We are sorry to you. We must repair issues. Thank you." Look at the cute little man bowing his head as if to say, "Sorry." Adorable.

Here are a few of the various road blockers. In the USA we use bright orange cones. They are effective, but they are certainly no where near as cute! There are all different kinds of 'road blockers', but I love the little pink worker.

Just in case you missed the other "Stop: Construction" signs.
There is THIS guy!

There is just cuteness everywhere!

Watch out for the Sliding Doors

It makes dealing with what could be a bit of a stressful situation, easier. It also turns a negative into a positive. Great idea!

The signs here are hilarious!

There are all sorts of sweet / funny characters that remind you
to be careful.

Stay off your cell when on train.

Don't Smoke and Walk. It 'offends'.

Don't cut the line!

Another topic that just must be discussed...

I am here to talk about toilets.

I, too, am embarrassed and would not normally talk about toilets.

In order to introduce you to the true Japan, I cannot leave out something that fascinates so many foreigners.

(If you don't like this part, feel free to skip it. I'll never know!)

Here is a picture of the programming that accompanies most public toilets.

It's a little hard to read, so here it is a little larger on a slightly different model.

The gist of all of this is that the Japanese do not like to be embarrased. 

They want every one to be considerate of each other.  They are incredibly modest.

This is how the toilet came to be.

Most toilets have several different ways to 'wash'. (I saw bidets in Europe often, but nothing like this!)

You can even the adjust the temperature and the pressure of the water. 

Some toilets also have a dryer. 

The seat itself can actually heat up as well, in case your bum is cold. 

The most unique part of Japanese toilets is that most play sounds, yes I said that. It has several different choices of sounds. The most common are flushing sounds, flowing water and forest type noises. All of these sounds are supposed to make using a public restroom less embarrassing for everyone. 

Newer models can release deodorizers into the air after you stand.

To top off the toilets is a sink. Literally. This sink runs for about 30 seconds after you to flush to allow you to wash your hands. The water is then used to fill up the toilet. Brilliant, right? 

There are always things that we can learn from other countries. 

Here are just two examples, considerate construction and modesty toilets. 

Can someone in the USA please get on that ASAP?

On a side note there is something else you should know about public restrooms.

In smaller stores, males and females share a bathroom.... at the same time.

I found this out the hard way the other day.

Let me paint you a picture.

We were out exploring and had gotten a tad lost. No one was stressed, as we didn't have an agenda or anywhere to be. It is just that we had been in the car quite awhile.

I was a little desperate, so I agreed to use a 7-11 restroom. Well, Matt went in first to see if the bathroom was going to be ok. (You never know.) He came out and said the restroom was very clean and it was fine for me to use.

He neglected to tell me that it was a 'shared gender' bathroom.

I walked into what I thought was the single commode bathroom and was shocked- flabbergasted actually- to literally walk in on someone!

HE was behind the 'Man's' door that was only went from his shoulders to his fanny.

I was supposed to go into another stall, the 'woman's' door, that had a full size door.

WHAT???

 I walked in and squealed!

Talk about embarrassed!

I am pretty sure the customers in the store heard me.

I almost destroyed Japanese relations with the USA all because I had to go potty.

My husband didn't notice the restroom was for both genders.

He just assumed one door was shorter than the other.

I was mortified and could not get out of there fast enough.

The man, didn't even notice. He washed his hands and quietly left the restroom. Maybe he was just trying to be nice and not cause me any further embarrassment.

I ran to the car.

I barely got the tale told because I was mortified.

The kids and Matt were rolling, hooting and hollering at my silly-self.

This would NEVER happen in the States.

One, crime would be committed if we put both genders in one space.

Two, woman would never go in there.

Moral of the story...

Never trust your husband when he goes in to 'recon' the bathroom.

Or maybe it should be: "Read the signs before you enter a bathroom"

How about: "Use the restroom at home"

Next time, I will pay more attention.

I still, love the Japanese.

Keeping it real,

~ Aggie Amy