- 14 Mar 2002
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While traditional Japanese squat toilets (和式 washiki) have largely disappeared from newly constructed homes, they can still be found in schools and train stations, occasionally perplexing children unfamiliar with them. With Japan's population ageing, the demand for Western-style seated toilets continues to grow, prompting transportation companies and other facilities to replace older Japanese-style fixtures swiftly.
mainichi.jp
Toto (TOTO株式会社), Japan's largest toilet manufacturer and a multinational player, still produces and sells washiki (see Rakuten ad).
However, TOTO also offers a "washiki conversion service."
More on Japan's toilet culture:
www.oricon.co.jp
Japan's education ministry has also been supporting schools' transition to Western-style toilets through funds for school grounds maintenance. In a 2016 survey, 57% of toilets in public elementary and junior high schools were Japanese-style, but by 2023 this ratio had declined to 32%. However, there are discrepancies between prefectures, with Japanese-style toilets accounting for around half the total in places such as Shimane and Yamaguchi prefectures as of 2023. Some schools have also reportedly conveyed their wish to retain the traditional flushers so that children know how to use them.
In recent years, transportation companies have also been going Western. Of the 571 stations where Kyushu Railway Co. (JR Kyushu) operates, some 40% have Japanese-style loos. While cost-saving measures are being advanced amid a decline in local ridership, the company decided to update its latrines. According to a representative, until around 10 years ago, there had been passengers who commented they didn't want to touch the seat of a public toilet, so it left them in place. However, such feedback has not been heard recently, and in contrast, there is also sometimes a backlog of people waiting to use the seated facilities as many avoid squat ones.
'Those still exist'? Squat toilets declining in Japan, but demand remains - The Mainichi
FUKUOKA -- They may have all but disappeared from newly built homes, but traditional Japanese squat toilets are still found in places such as schools
Toto (TOTO株式会社), Japan's largest toilet manufacturer and a multinational player, still produces and sells washiki (see Rakuten ad).
However, TOTO also offers a "washiki conversion service."
More on Japan's toilet culture:
出荷率わずか0.3%以下…メリットほぼゼロの“和式トイレ”はこのまま絶滅するのか? TOTOに聞く
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