Just read an article on toilets in Japan: http://www.travelwithyourkids.com/de.../tokyo-toilets that talks about how US style toilets are not prevalent. Have you experienced a problem using the "squatter-style" of toilets in terms of cleanliness and hygiene? We are traveling with a 5-yr old, so I'm a little concerned.

Please advise.

Regards,
D

In places like shopping centers, tourist attractions and hotels and restaurants, and of course homes, western style toilets are easy to find. You may find that some public rest rooms have both styles and you need to try a few stalls before you find the right one if you can't read the kanji on the door.

Western toilets are absolutely prevalent, but what you will find is that they are better than US toilets any day. For starters, rarely, very rarely are they even a little bit dirty. During our Christmas trip to the US, I encountered filthy, clogged, overflowing toilets in Newark Airport, and in an upscale shopping center in Florida. Several nice restaurants we ate in had very iffy bathroom facilities imo.

Japanese toilets are also technologically above those in the states. The seats are heated for comfort, and there are wash and dry functions...not everywhere, but many places offer these really cool toilets.

I suspect that the website you reference is really out of date...because even when we first arrived here 16 years ago, western toilets were easy to find.

I forgot to add about squat toilets. They are clean, and since you don't touch anything, possibly cleaner to use than western toilets. I use them no problem, often choose them. Tips include positioning yourself more forward than you think you should be (face the flusher), pull pant legs up from the bottom before squatting, gather skirts in front of you. Unless you have some trouble getting up from a squatting position like bad knees or balance issues, then I wouldn't anticipate any trouble.

My experience with the squat toilets was not very good. In several train stations, these were all I could find. In 90% of them, there was urine all over the floor. It got all over the bottom of my shoes. I thought, No wonder the Japanese take their shoes off when they enter a house!

However, you can usually find handicapped toilets, which are western-style.

Better to stand on icky stuff than to sit on it!

Here's the link of a picture inside the male "tip toilet" at the Shinagawa train station. Tip toilet meaning payment optional. Most other toilets in Japan are free.

http://rkkwan.zenfolio.com/tokyo0809/e19258c3c

An electronic board indicate which stall is available. 7 seat toilet and 5 squat ones. And another wheelchair accessible seat toilet in upper right. Red triangle indicate where you are.

I never had an issue, but I only did a stand-up routine at a squatter and we had throne toilets in our hotels and vacation rental (by design).

Thanks for your replies! I was really beginning to panic about this toilet situation. This takes a huge load (no pun intended) off my mind!

I found the squat toilets hard and messy to use. Maybe as a woman, my aim is not do good, haha. I used these things to help.

http://www.magellans.com/store/Healt...artner_ID=FRGL

ALso, it took me awhile to figure out that in many public places like train stations, all the stalls had squat toilets but the last stall almost always had a western style toliet.

The one word that describes Japan would be 'clean'.

Clean is the word of the day!

Boy are you in for an uplifting surprise

When you get back home the words to Google are "Toto Washlet Toilet"

Aloha!

I used squat toilets in China; you will develop a routine! I am a heebeegeebee type when it comes to things like this but I managed...some are dirty and some aren't. You can practice at home by squatting over the bowl and by the time you get to Japan you will be a pro. Also, it's true that you can find western toilets in alot of places but you have to be prepared.

Are Toto washlet toilets available commercially in the US or Canada?

http://www.totousa.com/Washlet/WashletC110.aspx

Much to my surprise, I had one of the most gratifying releases over a squat toilet in Narita airport!

Its not about how low you go...take a wide stance, tilt the pelvis back and pull your clothes forward.....and oh yea...roll up your pants! Done!

Having just been in Japan for nearly 3 weeks I can tell you threre is no place I would rather go to go to the toilet. Public toilets are plentiful and free. We remarked that you never have to go further than 200m to find a toilet (tyhat could be an exaggeration but not a large one).

The majority of times there are western toilets and when they are they are clean, more often than not literally wash your a**e for you, play music to cover any unseemly noises and ocasionally give you a blow dry. When you have to squat rest assured that the toilet will still be clean.

Nearly every place has either English translations or helpful pictures so you are in no doubt as to what to expect or what to do.

Toilets are just one of the many pelasures of travelling in Japan.

Oops - I meant "pleasures"

Toto is like a cold beer on a summer afternoon -- it hits the spot.

Ahhh japanese toilets, my favorite subject. I've been to japan twice and enjoyed them many times. I live in Hawaii and installed a toto washlet in my house about 5 years ago and never looked back. There's a bidet, blow dryer, and heated seat. The wireless control hangs on the wall and it has worked flawlessly. At the time the price of the seat was $700 and that is in addition to the toilet itself. The only thing is you need a gfi outlet close to the toilet to plug in. Not many homes have that. Oooaahhh yeah, hits the spot every time.