The Bawdy Cloister

The Cloister is scheduled to have its antiquated toilets replaced today with a newer low flow model. I'm not very happy about it, but there's little I can do. You end up flushing them more often and they're prone to clog. But the decision was made by the higher ups so I guess I'll just have to deal with it. I've coped with worse.
Like anyone else who has spent time in Japan, it's comfort enough knowing at least I don't have to use one of these anymore...

That's right, I'd take a low-flow over a squatter any day. Fortunately, I didn't have one of these in the J-Cloister (my residence in Japan.) I had a "western" toilet. Nonetheless, the use of squatters is inescapable for anyone spending a measurable amount of time on those happy islands.

Many of the public facilities used them, like train stations and restaurants, but some of my friends were stuck with them in their apartments. Unlucky sons of.... If you're not familiar with the squatter and you plan to visit Japan, I suggest you learn how to use one before you go.

Japan's lav situation is not all bad though. Some bars have urinals the size of industrial sinks. That's because they serve a dual purpose...your usual business, plus an easy target for someone who has overindulged on the sake and needs to hurl. Some of these can be quite unique...

Moreover, Japan also has the high-tech toilet seats that have sensors that automatically raise the lid when you walk in the bathroom, and have electrically warmed seats, and a million little buttons allowing you to squirt water on yourself at about any angle (and blow you dry when you're done.)

My favorite thing about these though is how water refilling the tank pours through a sink spout and into a hole in the lid. This allows you to wash your hands after flushing and that water then gets recycled immediately by filling the tank. Most grocery stores sell little decorations for the tank lid too that the water will pour over. My favorite were the penguins playing on ice blue rocks. Oh well, as for my current predicament, at least I don't have a squatter.

I suspect this is probably the only post I'll write relevant enough to the topic...so I'll go ahead and include this joke, Rowdy's Favorite Japanese Bathroom Humor:

A salary man walks into an izakaya and asks the owner, "O-toire wa?"

The proprietor looks at the man incredulously and responds, "O-benjo desu."