Japanese toilets are a genuine travel highlight — heated seats, bidets, and buttons galore. But they can baffle first-timers. Here’s your friendly guide to Japan’s famous washlets (and the occasional squat toilet).
The high-tech washlet
Many toilets are washlets with a control panel of buttons. The essentials:
- Flush — look for 大 (big/large) and 小 (small) for full or light flush. It may be a lever, a wall panel, or a sensor — not always on the seat panel.
- Bidet buttons — おしり (rear wash) and ビデ (front wash); often with pressure/position controls.
- Stop — 止 (stop) ends the spray. This is the button you’ll want to find first.
- Heated seat, dryer, and deodorizer on fancier models.
The “privacy sound” button
A button labeled 音 (sound) or a musical note plays a flushing sound to mask any noise — a beloved feature (especially in women’s restrooms, sometimes as an automatic sensor called Otohime).
Squat toilets (still around)
Older stations, parks, and rural spots may have squat toilets. Face the hood/flush end, feet either side, and squat. Carry tissues — some don’t have paper.
Good to know
- Carry a small pack of tissues (often handed out free on the street) and a hand towel — some restrooms lack paper towels.
- Public toilets are widespread, clean, and free — konbini, stations, and department stores are reliable.
- Don’t flush anything but paper; sanitary bins are provided.
- Toilet slippers exist in homes and ryokan — swap into them and back out. See our etiquette guide.
Want one at home?
Washlet seats are a popular souvenir/purchase — check voltage compatibility first; see our electronics buying guide. First trip? Read first-timer tips.
Reading the buttons like a local
- Most washlet panels group flush controls separately from bidet controls — the flush is often a small lever or separate wall-mounted button, not on the seat panel itself, which confuses many first-time users searching only the seat-side panel.
- Pressure and nozzle position dials (if present) let you fine-tune the bidet spray — start on the lowest setting, since default factory settings can be stronger than expected.
- A dryer function (if available) is usually a separate button from the bidet controls, often marked with a wind or fan icon.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Panicking and pressing random buttons — nearly every washlet has a clearly marked stop button (止 or a red icon); learning to spot it first removes most of the anxiety around trying the other functions.
- Forgetting toilet slippers exist at ryokan and some homes — these are separate from the house slippers you wear elsewhere and should be swapped back out immediately after leaving the bathroom, a common etiquette slip for first-timers.
- Assuming every public restroom has hand dryers or paper towels — many don’t, which is why locals carry a small hand towel; picking one up early in your trip (sold everywhere, including 100-yen shops) solves this permanently.
Where to find reliably good public toilets
Train stations, department stores, and konbini restrooms are consistently clean, free, and equipped with modern facilities, making them a reliable fallback anywhere in a city — unlike some countries, there’s no need to buy something or ask permission to use a station or konbini restroom while out sightseeing.
Buying a washlet to take home
If a trip converts you into a washlet believer, note that most models sold in Japan are built for Japan’s toilet bowl shapes and 100V electrical standard — check compatibility with your home country’s plumbing and voltage carefully before buying one as a souvenir, since not every model ships or installs easily overseas.