I read an article recently that explained that currently there are a great number of Japanese women that are so embarrassed by the bathroom sounds that they create, they have to wait until their husbands leave the house so they can comfortably use the bathroom. Anyone else hear about this factoid? Here is at least one page that I have found that will backup my message:
http://www.theplumber.com/japaneseobsession.html
Any info greatly appreciated..Golly, I know tons of American women that are embarrassed about their own bathroom sounds and noises (dunno if it’s so bad that they have to wait until the house is empty, but still…)
Many of us, when using a public restroom, will flush it as soon as we sit down, to cover the tinkle noise. Don’t laugh, we can’t help it.
When I was stationed in Korea, I noticed that our Korean counterparts were reluctant to flush the toilet when anyone else was in the restroom. Apparently the sound itself was considered embarassing. I could be wrong, but no-one seemd to have the straight poop on why this was (sorry – couldn’t resist).
I suspect that the Koreans’ diet contains a great deal more fiber than that of the Japanese. Kimchee and other fiber-containing comestibles are eaten at just about every meal.
~~Baloo
I can only imagine what the little green space men hiding in orbit are thinking as they observe us.
“Hey Kodos–check this out, for some reason, the earthlings find their biological excretory functions to be somewhat embarrassing!”
“GWARGH! Bwa-hahaha! Stupid meat-sacks! gwargh!”
“Bwa-hahahaha! What do you expect from a bunch of fleshy sacks filled with goo?”
“Gya-hahahaha!”
“Kya-hahahaha!”
“Let’s take that one, over there.”
very funny Ashtar… reminds me of a sci-fi story from Stanislav Lem. A space traveller visits an alien society. He is taken to a banquet, everyone is on top of the tables having sex, and peeing and crapping in appropriate receptacles right at each table. He goes in the bathroom and hears the people inside the stalls eating food, but as they hear his footsteps approaching, the people in the stalls go silent. He goes into an empty stall himself and finds food dispensers and nothing else, no toilet or anything. He asks what is going on, and they tell him that the natural bodily functions of reproduction and excretion take place right in public, it would be ridiculous to feel ashamed of sex or excretion. However, that EATING, now THAT is taboo. I mean really, killing other creatures and putting them in your MOUTH, how SHAMEFUL! How DARE he even bring up such a subject, civilized people don’t talk about EATING…
Anyway, having lived in Japan, I’d definitely say that story was way over the top. Japanese toilets are something to behold, they are more likely to be a ceramic slit-trench in the ground than a solid gold mechanical washlet like this silly article describes. I could go on and on about the horrors of Japanese toilets, but suffice to say, the state of Japanese plumbing leads me to assert that Japan is still a 3rd world country in some respects.
I hear some Japanese toilets are equiped with loud speakers that produce sounds of rain, running water, tides, and etc. to cover up the sound of doing your business. I suppose it could be useful when you’re having a really bad day… you know, those days when you just feel your butt is on fire :eek:
I haven’t encountered any that play water sounds, but I have been in one public toilet that played bird noises (What, I’m supposed to be more relaxed about taking a crap in the middle of the Amazon?)
One story about Japanese women’s toilet habits that was reported recently was about taking drugs to eliminate the smell from their feces. The drug had been developed for use in nursing homes as a convenience for workers who have to change people’s diapers, but young women were buying up everything the producer could supply and using it themselves.
Oh, and in response to the OP, my girlfriend (Japanese) isn’t embarrassed about using the toilet while I’m still at home, but my apartment (like many in Japan) is designed so that the toilet is pretty remote from the rest of the house (three doors between it and the living areas). Still, she’s become more relaxed about farting while I’m in the room.
–sublight.
I have got to find me a Japanese woman to date! They have got to be great if they’re that considerate about bathroom noises!
American women certainly have few hang-ups. Especially the older ones. Just stroll through Walmart or Kmart in the middle of the day when the women are out shopping and it becomes toot city, man! The older they are, the less they care or probably can’t hear the foghorn blast they leave behind.
I’ve had girls be sweetly modest when using my bathroom and splash some of my (expensive) cologne about after dropping a log to hide the scent and others who go in and don’t warn me about the gas cloud afterwards.
Holy cow! I’ve heard that Japanese women are especially sweet to their men, but this is a level I never knew of.
There is nothing like walking up the sidewalk to a restaurant behind a couple of very American cows in tight shorts or slacks, which gives you a view you want to forget anyhow, when one fires off a salute and doesn’t even break stride or interrupt her conversation and you walk through it. After your nose hairs get done burning out and some guy lifts you out of the hedge where you fell, you suddenly don’t have an appetite anymore.
Know any cute Japanese ladies? Introduce me.
Japanese toilets can be scary. They tend to be either a dirty smelly old room, one step above a pit toiltet, or a super-duper electronic marvel with a control panel more advanced than some small aircraft. Haven’t encountered any with sound, but some have a feature that runs the water constantly to hide any noises.