While
the job of a plumber is difficult and dirty enough in Melbourne, international
plumbers have aneven trickier task. While in Melbourne we are use to first
class plumbing systems with flowing water and access to toilet paper, some
other countries are not so lucky. Toilets across the world differ greatly,
depending on cultural traditions, concepts of hygiene and access to water and
paper. This makes the job of a plumber differ greatly.
For
those who are yet to travel overseas, it may come as a shock to you that not
all toilets are the same. The western-style toilets we are all accustomed to in
Melbourne are not always available when you’re overseas. For educational
purposes and just out of pure curiosity, we have put two nations toilets head
to head. You will be amazed to see the differences between the toilets in China
to then ones in Japan.
Chinese Toilets
If
you like your privacy when you go to the John, then you’ll have to cross your
legs in the People’s Republic of China. In this totalitarian society, toilets
are highly communal, with no doors and sometimes no partitions. They are also
squat style, with generally no flush. While this isn’t completely surprising
for a complete collectivist society, it can be a real culture shock for
unsuspecting tourists.
Luckily
for tourists they can find solace within most hotels which are equipped with
western style toilets, however they can’t hide when they venture outside. It is
not uncommon to enter a public Chinese toilet in a shopping centre to find
locals with their trousers around their ankles, squatting in open air, madly
chatting to each other without a care in the world. In some instances there is
even a communal trough that only features one flush in the first toilet that
works for them all. Sometimes there’s not even a shared flush, but instead a
bucket of water that attendants pour down the trough once in a while.
When
visiting China, don’t expect something for nothing. Toilet paper is not free
and sometimes you don’t even have the option of doing a “number two”. Some
toilets feature a grill over the squat hole to ensure nothing but liquids
passes through. They even threaten to fine perpetrators who disobey the rules.
Japanese Toilets
Japan
is renowned for having the swankiest electronic toilets in the world, beating
out many first world nations for toilets. However, it took time for toilets to
evolve. Initially the Japanese preferred the squat style toilet, which can
still be found in use today in some public toilets today. However, after World
War 11, Japan made the switch from squat toilets to the western style flush
toilets and urinals. The Japanese currently favour the bidet toilet, which they
refer to as a washlet. This style of toilet is now installed in 72 per cent of
Japanese households and is the most modern style of western toilet on offer.
While
Japan is famous for the high tech gadgets, it was actually the US that
manufactured the Washlet G Series by Toto in 1964. It wasn’t until 1980 that
the high tech toilet was first introduced to Japan. By 2002, the washlet
dominated Japanese homes with nearly half of private homes using the toilet. Amazingly,
this figure surpassed homes with a personal computer.
This
toilet looks like a normal western toilet however has many addition features
that make it extra special. The extra features include bidet washing,
deodoisation, seat warming, anus washing, automatic flush, water jet
adjustments, automatic lid opening, wireless control panel, massage options,
blow dryer and much more.
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