Flushing to keep from blushing

Once upon a time I heard that Japanese women were very shy in the bathroom – so shy, in fact, that they would flush the toilet repeatedly to mask their bathroom noises. Eventually, the water waste became such an issue that machines were installed in the bathrooms that simulated the flushing sounds. I never knew if it was true or not, but I’ve repeated it throughout my life as it were fact.

Flying through Tokyo’s Narita airport recently, I went in the restroom – careful to choose one that wasn’t a squatter (that’s a whole other story). Once I got into the stall I was caught off guard by all the extra equipment around the toilet. There was a panel with buttons on it, a little tube inside the bowl, and a sheet of instructions on the wall. The one that caught my eye and made me investigate further was the one that said “Flushing Sound.” Below, it said, “Press to play back flushing sound to muffle toilet sound.”

Wow! The urban legend is true. And, in case your airplane meal isn’t sitting well with you, there is a volume button for the flushing sound!

The whole sheet was labeled “equipment to cleansing the buttocks with warm water.” Along with the flushing sounds and volume, there are buttons for “spray” and “bidet.” I couldn’t imagine how a regular toilet became a bidet, so I pressed the button. The tube inside the toilet rotated into bidet position and began shooting water. When the spray option was selected the tube shifted so the water came out at a different angle. You can also control the pressure of the water and heat the seat if you like. If you need powerful deodorizing, there’s a button for that too.

People probably wondered why I was in there so long and what I thought was so funny when I came out. I don’t care. That toilet made my day.