Types of toilets... Things you've wanted to ask, but were afraid

There are three types of toilets commonly found in Japan. The oldest type is a simple squat toilet, which is still common in public conveniences. After World War II, modern Western-type flush toilets and urinals became common. The current state of the art is bidet toilets, which, as of 2004, are installed in more than half of Japanese households. In Japan, these bidets are commonly called Washlets (ウォシュレット Woshuretto?), a brand name of TOTO Ltd., and include many advanced features rarely seen outside of Asia. Western-style flush toilets
This is the type of toilet we had in our hotels. Quite nice, because they are equipped with a warming seat.





The standard flush toilet used worldwide is known in Japan as a Western-style (洋式) toilet. Western-style toilets, including high tech toilets, are now more common in Japanese homes than the traditional squat toilets, though some older apartments retain stickers on the toilet or in its room illustrating the proper way to use it for urination and defecation. While most public facilities such as schools, temples, and train stations are often equipped with only squat toilets, in their own homes, Japanese people prefer being able to sit, especially older individuals for whom prolonged squatting is physically demanding or uncomfortable.
Western-style flush toilets in Japan commonly include water saving features such as the ability to choose between a "big" flush and a "little" flush. Many toilets also route the water to fill the tank through a faucet over the tank allowing users to rinse their hands.
This is one I experienced while at my cooking class! With small amounts of spaces for living in the home, this saved space of having a sink and toilet. Although the water is fresh coming from the spigot on top of the toilet, I didn’t have the courage to drink from it.




















Squat Toilet
I haven’t experienced this one yet, and I must admit am a little apprehensive. A squat toilet differs from a western toilet in both construction and method of employment. A squat toilet essentially looks like a miniature urinal rotated 90 degrees and set into the floor. Most squat toilets in Japan are made of porcelain, though in some cases (like on trains), stainless steel is also used. Instead of sitting, the user squats over the toilet, facing the hemispherical hood, i.e., the wall in the back of the toilet in the picture seen on the right. A shallow trough collects the waste, instead of a large water-filled bowl as in a western toilet. All other fixtures, such as the water tank, piping, and flushing mechanism, may be identical to those of a western toilet. Flushing causes water to push the waste matter from the trough into a collecting reservoir which is then emptied and carried off into the sewer system.