Notes from a traveller: The most important of Japanese Royal Thrones

トイレ, 便所, お手洗い, 化粧室, 厠,
All the different ways of saying toilet in Japanese! And I am sure there are more...

Japanese toilets have become a bit of a fascination with us both. Not the squat kind, that kind does not really excite Richard that much as he finds squatting somewhat difficult... no, the western toilets. The weather is on the turn, it is spring but there is still a nip in the air, so what better thing to have than heated toilet seats! Pretty much every toilet we have used, toilets in private houses, toilets in temples and shrines, toilets in the stations... have all had lovely heated toilet seats. But it does not stop there... oh no, most toilets also have some sort of a bottom washing system! You can choose from a steady solid spray, or a softer spray, you can adjust the strength of the spray, and you can have the spray going for as long as you like, it is warm water so a pleasant experience. Now once the spraying has finished, some toilets even have a dryer!! Warm and dry your bottom in the push of a button... now really, what more can you ask for you may ask? Can there possibly be more to be had from a toilet? The answer is definitely yes! For those women out there who do not like people to hear them tinkling or doing any other business, here is the perfect solution. A button you can push which masks any sounds you may be making with the sound of flushing water coming through a speaker system!!! Perhaps the sound of flushing water even helps you to do your business!!I was even using a squat toilet the other day and it had this facility attached to the wall of the toilet, so no one need hear any unladylike sound that I may be making!!! Richard tells me that he has not ever seen this option in the male toilets!

For those of you who know Richard well... you will by now have realised that I have not been seeing much of him...