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Privacy

basuotoko

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When I entered the bathroom at a festival the other night I noticed a bunch of women hanging around the place with their boyfriends. What's that about? I mean, is it too much to ask that men be given the same privacy that women get while they do their bathroom duties? And it's not like we even had stalls, it was just a row of urinals pretty much out in the open.

I could simply just pass it off as everyone was drunk, but I've seen behavior like this many times before. A lot of women just seem to take it for granted that they can mingle amongst the men in the bathroom. How would it go over if I walked around them while they tried to take a piss? Unbelievable...

Also, I've spotted the same kind of attitudes toward men at onsens. If you watch TV here, you'll probably notice that camera crews seem to have no problem with just walking into rooms full of naked men and broadcasting it across the nation. And then there's the women who work in the men's locker rooms. I don't want to come off as a prude, but am I the only one bothered by the lack of privacy in this kind of area? I can't really talk about things like this with my small group of foreign friends or with Japanese friends, so what do you guys think?
 
I guess, it is just a cultural thing, that we'll eventually have to get used to, while we live here. At the beginning, I was relatively disturbed by the lack of privacy at the doctors'. In many cases, you are only separated from the crowd in the waiting area by a small curtain, if any. So everybody can at least hear, whatever the doctor does and says. Or a nurse would come out to the waiting area with a bunch of thermometers in her hand: "OK, who's got the flu, raise your hands"

Best just don't bother about it, I think, the Japanese don't either.
 
I think this case in particular -- men in women restrooms is not so uncommon after all. I mean, I don't think this has anything to do with Japan or not. I have seen it in the West. An amusement park women's restroom was full of people, so some girls we were with didn't hesitate to use the men's room. They came out like nothing happened. I didn't say anything, but certainly was a little shocked. But I now think this is a trait of the younger generation, Japanese or not.

Mauricio
 
It hasn't changed much, LOL.

Back in the 70's when I was there(Fukuoka), it freaked me out when a mama-san came into the mens shower to clean. Then they would come into my room on base while I was dressing. Off base, the bar I liked had just 1 bathroom, so women were going in and out. An old hand who had been in Japan a few years told me to get my brain out of Maine and into Japan. In other words, get used to it, you are in Japan and that's how it is. After about 2 monthes, I never noticed it anymore.

Uncle Frank

 
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Sorry, folks, but I've been in Japan almost 10 years and have never seen nor heard of people mingling in the bathrooms (toilets). EVER! Where was this?

As for doctors' offices, have been to quite a few, and there are doorways leading to separate rooms from the waiting rooms in all cases. Treatment rooms are a different story, but you will find that case almost anywhere.

What's the problem with news cameras in onsens? They mask the private parts in the final viewing anyway.
 
This is the first I've heard of it too. While I can understand cleaning staff having to mingle amongst the men at onsens (since its mostly women who populate this profession) I can't say I've had women in the men's washrooms before. I personally don't care because, as was pointed out, when alcohol is involved these rules seem to go out the window no matter what country you're in. If you wanna drop a giant dookie I can see how it'd be embarrassing though.
 
bakaKanadajin said:
This is the first I've heard of it too. While I can understand cleaning staff having to mingle amongst the men at onsens (since its mostly women who populate this profession) I can't say I've had women in the men's washrooms before.
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I've only seen it in hotel unisex bathrooms without a lock where the urinal is outside the stall. I'm sure the men are a little uptight being forced into that situation but it must have been the beer for women to hang out there. Most sober Japanese girls I know are embarrassed to even look at pictures of a naked man.

I've simply never been desperate enough to walk in someone...
 
When a festival is involved , everything that is normal is thrown out the window. It is just like when you go to a big beer festival or a battle of the bands sort of set up back home, the toilets are usually shared. And as you said most people are drunk so noone cares.

As for the doctors comment, haven't heard of that before.
 
An old hand who had been in Japan a few years told me to get my brain out of Maine and into Japan.
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That has got to be one of the best lines I have ever read here on JRef.

It is just so right, your friend hit the nail on the head.
Mind if I borrow it?
 
Last year, a man died at a famous naked festival.
You can find other dangerous festivals which kill people in Japan. And some people are not corporate-loyal worriers, but live to join their festivals. Of course, the people did not participate in the festivals to be killed, but I don't know if they were unhappy or not.
Tokyo police has recently announced that they would restrict the famous Tokyo festival, Sanja Fes., not to climb up the small shrines. This must cause controversy among participants.
Matsuri or festival is not always here, so some women are excited to use the bathroom.

A fast food shop nearby has an unisex bathroom, and I am wondering if you would use it when women are waiting.
 
pipokun said:
Last year, a man died at a famous naked festival.
Click to expand...

I'm now intrigued to know how he died and what (if any) was the connection between the cause of death and him being naked... ☝

All festivals can be a bit risky because of people getting drunk and high on various substances though.

Not sure whether going to the toilet is considered the most dangerous thing you can do at a festival...
 
It's hard being a very modest person in Japan. I feel like such a prude. There is less privacy in Japan. At the hospital in the ER I was in a little cubicle made of drapes. Everyone can hear, and see, because the drapes aren't fit to close tightly. Once they realized I was very contagious I was given a private room. That made me feel better!
 
Are you really that shocked about toilets in Japan? I mean most toilets I've been in have a window near the urinals that is waist high and the window is always open. I always feel like I'm on some hidden video show.

I'm used to it now, and I see no reason to be so timid about any of it. The only problem in any of these posts to me would be the lack of privacy at the doctor, and that would only bother me if I had an STD or something really embarrasing to discuss. Everyone has been sick before...no big deal is it?
 
One of my earliest memories of Japan is of standing at the urinal in a tiny restroom shared by several スナック bars in a building....and having a young lady enter, pass behind me, and enter the stall. Nothing in my life to that point had prepared me for the possibility of such a thing ever happening. I couldn't even have imagined it.

At highway rest areas, I have many times seen tour buses enter and hordes of middle-aged and elderly ladies descend en masse on the men's restroom. Inequality of facilities and all that, I get it so don't bother explaining it to me.

I also clearly remember standing at the urinal at work, a urinal which faced an open window with a view....and having one of the young (and gorgeous) office ladies engage me in casual conversation. Talk about awkward! I guess she can be excused for not being a guy and knowing the first rule of urinal etiquette: no conversation at the urinal!
 
then what's the use of having a men's/women's washroom? just install the urinals and stalls in a unisex washroom, where men and women alike can freely enter and use.
 
Because there are still ladies with tender sensibilities and because there are still perverts and predators.
 
I've seen women janitors in many mens room. If there's a guy a in there doing his business, they just say shitsurei shimasu and leave for awhile. It's no big thing in Japan. Only a "hentai" (pervert) would stare. Many public men's restroom are easily visible from the outside so if you have any western discomfort with that, be forewarned. It's not sexual, it's just natural as mixed bathing. (McAurthur had to spoil all that. But I know an onsen where 20 yr old girls have no problem bathing in the nude without a towel with older guys like me. )
 
Ocean Dude said:
I've seen women janitors in many mens room. If there's a guy a in there doing his business, they just say shitsurei shimasu and leave for awhile.
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Or say the same thing and go right on about their business.

Many public men's restroom are easily visible from the outside so if you have any western discomfort with that, be forewarned. It's not sexual, it's just natural as mixed bathing.
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Actually, I believe that sort of thing is designed to prevent homosexuals from making use of the facilities for trysts. So in that sense, it is sexual (or anti-sexual, take your pick).
 
I think there is perhaps too much emphasis on 'privacy' in the 'West' anyway. . .

That latter point could be correct, Mike, yet I would still wonder if it were not just carry-over from the 'men over women' thing? まァ. . . that's a whole detailed discussion maybe, but there could arguably be an element that has come down in several forms of the 'protect reproduction rights' instinct, making it not good for a woman to do her business anywhere, whereas for a man, there would be no problem.

ps...is that the 'Onbashira Festival' of Suwa there? I went to see it once, and almost got crushed myself. It was crazy, for sure...just as all the almost nude men climbing all over the place at that festival.
 
Cleaning ladies and unisex bathrooms are one thing.
This situation does not sound like either of them.

Girls and guys chatting openly in the toilet area!? Gimme a break. Festival attitude aside, even drunk people would know better than to stand in a place where people urinate. The smell alone in most toilets is strong enough.
 
Mike Cash said:
Because there are still ladies with tender sensibilities and because there are still perverts and predators.
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ANd there are some guys that just cant do their thing with a woman standing next to them doing the same thing as well.
 
Obeika said:
ANd there are some guys that just cant do their thing with a woman standing next to them doing the same thing as well.
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Indeed! Punctuating properly can be troublesome with ladies in the room!

 
There always seems to be a point at a club where the que for the women's toilet gets too long and girls start using the mens to avoid soiling themselves.
 
I went to another festival the other night, and this time they had porta potties so there was no problem with privacy, but the smell...

And now that other people have mentioned it, I too have seen many mens bathrooms which are open and clearly visible to anyone walking by. Not to mention the windows which allow anybody a clear view of men going about their business. It may be Japanese "culture", but it's just one thing I can't get used to...
 
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