Using the Bathroom Overseas

[MrMan]

I was involved in a conversation with a group of friends including my wife and a couple of Filipinas. One of the Americans had never thought of the idea that in some countries there were squat toilets and a hose or bucket and dipper instead of toilet paper.

How do they....? What do they....?

There are some sit-down toilets with toilet paper provided in Indonesia. I never really 'converted.' But those sit-down toilets usually have a hose and sprayer or bidet, so I prefer both. We've got hose and sprayer bidets in the house. An additional option, not the only option.

Indonesians are pretty good about having soap in the bathrooms. The left hand needs it.

If you go out of the big city or out of malls and western restaurants, you might want to bring your own TP, if they have a trash can to put it in. You could easily clog a squat toilet. So bring a plastic bag with you just in case. I was thinking of rubber gloves and a zip lock bag for trash as an alternative for the squeamish.

South Korea had squat toilets with a trash can next to it, with some sit-down toilets. Sometimes it's bring your own Kleenex. That's what they do. If they don't empty the trash can, it can smell pretty bad, with a bit of a hint of kimchi. The diet there is enough to make one a regular guy, too regular, and I suspect they washed some of that kimchi in the restaurants with tap water, too.

[Yohan]

Why You Need to Try a High-Tech Japanese Toilet



How to survive in Japanese toilets

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In Japan old toilets, regardless if Western or Asian style, are disappearing rapidly.

You will find them still in rural areas, in old buildings, but every new condo-unit, every new house has as standard equipment electric washlets.

Also most supermarkets, shopping malls, gas stations, railway stations, airports etc. are now updated to modern washlets.

Of course also my home in Japan has a modern washlet.