Bon brings more than family back home

[Hachiko]

"Attention Shiraishi Island residents. This is an announcement from the Kasaoka city Environment Committee. This month's toilet cleaning will take place on Friday, Aug. 3 and Thursday, Aug. 26. Please register for toilet cleaning at least one day beforehand. And don't forget to buy your toilet tickets."
You can be sure that after this island-wide announcement, all the island residents rushed to their calendars and wrote "toilet cleaning day" next to both dates, in letters big enough to read even without their glasses on. That's how important toilet cleaning day is on this island, where most people do not have a flush toilet. If you miss this day, the results could be, well, monolithic.

Japan Times

 

[PaulTB]

Japan Times

That's not really what I would call "Toilet cleaning" though.

In the UK it's not uncommon to have houses with septic tanks (unconnected to the main drainage system) - although a plain pit under the toilet isn't usual Sewage lorrys going past with little signs saying "Non-hazardous content" can be seen on most long distance trips. (May be 'non-hazardous' but _I_ wouldn't want to drive through a spill.)