Japanese toilets

[TokyoPortrait]

Hi.

I think it’s not the source of the water that’s the problem.

I’ve lived in Japan for over twenty years now, and I can’t recall ever seeing a hand washing bit on top of the tank that looks quite like the two shown here so far. I wouldn’t mind that.

Typically, the tank top wash bowls are just a bowl with a hole at the bottom, in the centre, and a spout for the water to come out, coming up from rear centre and curving over foreword to release the water directly above the hole in the bowl. There’s no platform or ledge to hold a soap pump or anything. Everything just slopes down from the rim.

So, they’re more of a hand rinsing thing. I don’t use them, as I think they’re ineffective. And, in domestic residences, I’d never use the hand drying towel you find hanging from a wall holder next to them either.

The real problem is, there’s (usually) no other way to wash your hands in the toilet room. You have to open at least the toilet door, and then go to the laundry area next to the bathroom* and use the wash basin there to ‘properly’ wash your hands.

From ‘toilet conversations,’ it seems many, myself included, use various hacks and workarounds - like leaving the door slightly ajar so it can be hooked open with your foot, back of hand if it’s a lever door handle, toilet paper as barrier which is quickly thrown in the bowel before exiting, etc.

It’s a real pain at times. Though mostly, it’s an automatic set of observations and precautionary setups you do, almost subconsciously.

Pax/
Dean
* talking typical Japanese house & apartment layout here

 

[Solaris moon]

This is a good 3 minute explainer (less if you skip to the installation)... the sink water comes directly from the supply line, not the tank. If there is bacteria in the tank (I'll just assume you're right about that), the only way bacteria is getting in to the sink water is if there is a leak in the line, and there would have to be lower pressure in the supply line to cause it to backfill.



One nice feature is that because the sink becomes the source of the tank water, the faucet is triggered by the float to turn on/off. You don't need to touch anything but the soap to wash your hands... unlike a traditional sink, where you use your "dirty" hands to touch the faucet to turn it on, only to touch that same now "dirty" faucet with your clean hands to turn it off. There's a better than high probability that the toilet sink is effectively more sanitary than using a traditional sink, actually.

Hi.

I think it’s not the source of the water that’s the problem.

I’ve lived in Japan for over twenty years now, and I can’t recall ever seeing a hand washing bit on top of the tank that looks quite like the two shown here so far. I wouldn’t mind that.

Typically, the tank top wash bowls are just a bowl with a hole at the bottom, in the centre, and a spout for the water to come out, coming up from rear centre and curving over foreword to release the water directly above the hole in the bowl. There’s no platform or ledge to hold a soap pump or anything. Everything just slopes down from the rim.

So, they’re more of a hand rinsing thing. I don’t use them, as I think they’re ineffective. And, in domestic residences, I’d never use the hand drying towel you find hanging from a wall holder next to them either.

The real problem is, there’s (usually) no other way to wash your hands in the toilet room. You have to open at least the toilet door, and then go to the laundry area next to the bathroom* and use the wash basin there to ‘properly’ wash your hands.

From ‘toilet conversations,’ it seems many, myself included, use various hacks and workarounds - like leaving the door slightly ajar so it can be hooked open with your foot, back of hand if it’s a lever door handle, toilet paper as barrier which is quickly thrown in the bowel before exiting, etc.

It’s a real pain at times. Though mostly, it’s an automatic set of observations and precautionary setups you do, almost subconsciously.

Pax/
Dean
* talking typical Japanese house & apartment layout here

That's quite alright boys - I'll pass on this one altogether!!!!

 

[4pickupguy]

Like you have never done it before...

Yeah, you’re on to me…

Hi.

I think it’s not the source of the water that’s the problem.

I’ve lived in Japan for over twenty years now, and I can’t recall ever seeing a hand washing bit on top of the tank that looks quite like the two shown here so far. I wouldn’t mind that.

Typically, the tank top wash bowls are just a bowl with a hole at the bottom, in the centre, and a spout for the water to come out, coming up from rear centre and curving over foreword to release the water directly above the hole in the bowl. There’s no platform or ledge to hold a soap pump or anything. Everything just slopes down from the rim.

So, they’re more of a hand rinsing thing. I don’t use them, as I think they’re ineffective. And, in domestic residences, I’d never use the hand drying towel you find hanging from a wall holder next to them either.

The real problem is, there’s (usually) no other way to wash your hands in the toilet room. You have to open at least the toilet door, and then go to the laundry area next to the bathroom* and use the wash basin there to ‘properly’ wash your hands.

From ‘toilet conversations,’ it seems many, myself included, use various hacks and workarounds - like leaving the door slightly ajar so it can be hooked open with your foot, back of hand if it’s a lever door handle, toilet paper as barrier which is quickly thrown in the bowel before exiting, etc.

It’s a real pain at times. Though mostly, it’s an automatic set of observations and precautionary setups you do, almost subconsciously.

Pax/
Dean
* talking typical Japanese house & apartment layout here

This is exactly the case in the little corporate house the customer graciously put me up in. The toilet is in a tiny little room by itself and adjacent to that is a “utility room” that has a sink, washing machine and connecting shower room. It has the little sink thingy on top. Its not like its reclaiming “squirty thing” water (unless that what some of these ‘eco’ buttons do). Besides, if there is a climbing contamination originating from the bowl to pressurized water supply line, that shower over there ain‘t safe either… One needs only visit Guayaquil Ecuador and witness what happens in around and to the river (it’s water source) to know how far down the first world escalator we are worrying about back stroking amoebas in our $2000 toilets here.

 

[Buckocaster51]

You should all read this book

 

[4pickupguy]

You should all read this book

View attachment 1097935

Reviews call this “one of the crappiest publications imaginable..”

 

[tfarny]

LOL I was just in a Kohler kitchen and bath showroom in an upper crust New England town and they had a whole wall of toilets with every one of these functions. Back in the 1990s nice Japanese toilets had most of these features!

 

[BigDaddyLH]

I can only assume that the latest Japanese toilets run ChatGPT