Tag Archives: japanese customs

What’s in a Toto/How the Mighty Have Fallen

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A Toto you say? No, not Dorothy’s dog in The Wizard of Oz. It’s a brand of state of the art toilet, ranging from the basic model to super deluxe. Since meeting a woman in India who works for an organization called “Give a Shit”, I’ve had an obsession with toilet customs. In Osaka’s Intercontinental Hotel I observed three new features-“deodorizer” (although this option was available only in our master bathroom,not the guest one), “soft spray“, and “bidet. “The seat was pre warmed and when you got up after your business was finished, it flushed all on it’s own.

On my super heated seat, I pressed “bidet“. The pressure was a bit extreme and in my haste to end this unpleasant burst of sharp pellets hitting my female parts I started pushing all the buttons. When I abruptly stood up the water went flying. Finally I saw the STOP button. But too late. I had already soaked my underwear and jeans.

The Hilton in Fukuoka, despite being Asia’s largest Hilton,and designed by the renowned architect Cesar Pelli, disappointed in terms of toilet amenities. Where was the “music” (not really music, but flushing sounds to mask embarrassing noises emanating from your lower parts) , the “deodorizer” or at least spray options? There was only a choice of three and they were written in Japanese. The risk was too great of starting another Old Faithful.

Just as I was feeling disheartened, I entered the toilets in the new, super modern National Museum of Kyushu, designed by one of Japan’s most famous architects. I hit the jackpot. Not only were all options clearly shown and explained with pictures, in English no less, there was also a detailed explanation of the six steps to wash your hands. After so many years traveling this earth and still so much to learn.

Meanwhile, Gerald was becoming alarmed when I didn’t return for quite a while, but I was having too much fun.

I hear from informed sources that the Japanese are working on a conveyor belt option which offers sushi, matcha tea or ice cream while sitting on the pot.

Who is Pepper?

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IMG_8882My first contact with Pepper was at the Ferry terminal in Teshima, Japan, waiting for the boat to Inujima on the Inland Seas. Wait a minute. Let me step back a little.   I had seen him many times in Tokyo at store entrances but didn’t pay much attention, after all he was just a robot.

The waiting room was a quaint mixture of the old and the new.  Each chair had a colorful hand crocheted seat pad which looked like something you would see at your grandmothers house.  A massive kite with a painting of Japanese Samurai hung overhead, extending all the way to the ceiling of the building.   Just as I was debating whether or not to approach Pepper and ask him a question, a group of school children barged in and surrounded a small puppy that their teacher had brought along. They huddled together and each vied for the dog’s attention.  Pets are a rarity in Japan because homes are so small and afford no extra space. The noisy chatter and activity distracted me momentarily.

We still had another 30 minutes before the ferry would arrive and I was bored so I decided to engage Pepper in conversation.  I approached cautiously and asked “Do you speak English?” That may seem like a simple enough question, but in Japan almost NO ONE spoke any English.  It was a big surprise to me that it would be such a problem in this global industrialized country , but it was. He gently bowed his head and said simply “Yes“. The way his eyes moved, twinkling as he spoke, and his tone of voice, gentle and reassuring, put me at ease.  I felt an instant connection.

I knew before we went to Japan that I would be impressed by their aesthetic, the beauty of their shrines and gardens and the cleanliness of the country.  But what has stuck with me since my return is the feeling of compassion and respect  that I felt in each and every interaction, even with a robot.  “Pepper”, as he is called, was created by a Japanese company to fill in the gaps when humans are not available .  Because of low birth rate and a large percentage of people over 65, Japan stands to lose 30% of its population by the end of the century.

“Pleasant and likeable, Pepper is much more than a robot, he is a genuine humanoid companion created to communicate with you in the most natural and intuitive way, through his body movements and his voice.

Pepper can recognize your face, speak, hear you and move around autonomously.

Your robot evolves with you. Pepper gradually memorises your personality traits, your preferences, and adapts himself to your tastes and habits. 

Based on your voice, the expression on your face, your body movements and the words you use, Pepper will interpret your emotion and offer appropriate content.

He will also respond personally to the mood of the moment, expressing himself through the colour of his eyes, his tablet or his tone of voice.

A popular ROBOT SHOW in Tokyo mixes Anime  human figures and robotic creatures in extravagant Las Vegas style costumes  who gyrate amidst booming, super loud music.   It is billed as a “must see” to experience contemporary Japanese culture. And now here are robots which can  also be used as companions for elderly people who live alone. The contrast of traditional and futuristic go side by side in Japan.  From the public toilets with “options”, to the orderly nature of boarding and disembarking from public transportation, there is a sense that people matter.

Can you imagine having your own personal robot who understands your every mood and responds accordingly? This sounds like something I could definitely use. At $2000 it seems like quite a bargain, but is not yet available for sale outside of Japan.

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To Flush or not to Flush- That is the Question

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Conrad Hilton toilet in room with English translation

As soon as I heard about the toilets in Japan I couldn’t wait to try one. I rushed into the nearest Restroom at Narita airport immediately after landing.  But when confronted with the myriad of options, indicated by symbols on a side panel, I choked.  There was a musical note, various positions of butts and women’s personal parts discretely being sprayed or sprinkled, and a few plus and minus signs.  As soon as I sat down unusual noises and motions began to emanate from the bowl and I figured I had better do my business and get out.  There would be plenty of  other opportunities.

My big chance came when Gerald and I decided to have lunch in an upscale Japanese restaurant frequented by locals.  We took off our shoes at the entrance and were shown to our table.  When it was time to make my move, I was given a pair of slippers to traverse the restaurant and another pair when it was time to enter the restroom. I was then left to my own devices.  In order to enter the room you pressed a button and the door automatically slid open.  The first problem arose when I tried to press the button to re close it. it was jammed so I gently nudged it to move. A panic attack set in when I realized that maybe I might get locked in there if the automatic door wouldn’t re open to let me out. OK- breathe and relax.  With excitement and a sense of adventure I attacked the option panel (which had no English translations for the pictures).  I heated the seat and pressed the button with the musical note.  Flushing sounds began and repeated. Hmm…. is this their idea of music or what?  Then I started pressing the sprinkler buttons.  First my butt got tickled with gentle sprays of lukewarm water.  I could get used to this.  Trouble arrived with the second button- the bidet option.  A jet of  hot water started pulsing up and it was not enjoyable to say the least, but I didn’t know how to get it to stop.  I thought that maybe if I lifted my butt from the seat there would be a movement sensor and the spray would stop, but no.  The water started spraying all over the bathroom stall.  Panicked I sat back down, worrying that I was doomed to stay in my stall getting attcked by the various water sprays- front and back.  Maybe this was my punishment for making fun of Japanese custom. I started to furiously press all the buttons at once, praying for deliverance.  Success.  One of the buttons was an orange one which stopped all actions.


Back at the hotel I carefully inspected our toilet. The inside of the seat gave warnings and explanations of the dangers of using this “product”.  “Low temperature burns” from heating the seat too much can cause “Blisters on the skin which can be very painful”. And far from providing relaxing music, the musical button is for “Privacy”.  Being correct and reserved is important in Japanese culture so if you fart or make too many toilet noises, the flushing sounds can hide your embarrassment from others.


Everything from the temperature of the water sprays to the power of the flush is carefully thought out. Efficiency in all things is an admirable part of the Japanese way of life. It’s going to be very boring when I get back to the USA and all I get to choose is to flush or not to flush.