Do You Know Japanese Toilets' Common System?

In the connection I introduced public toilets in Hinohara Village in my previous post on September 1st, I'd like to write about Japanese toilets today is a quite high-tech equipment with lots of function buttons as you can see in upper right hand side photo. 

both toilets in the photos above are called "Western-style Toilets" since it was originally imported from Western countries. Traditional Japanese style toilets are equipped on the floor and people need to squat when they use it. We can still see Japanese style in parks, stations and old buildings, but nowadays most people prefer Western style toilets.

The toilet with many buttons in upper photos is a latest style and can be seen in hotels, department stores, and new facilities. On the other hand the toilet in lower photos has been a general type for a long while. Especially the small washbowl on top of the water tank is a very common system since more than 50 yeas ago. 

Basically it is a water recycling system for toilets. When people flush the toilet, clean tap water came out from the spigot to wash hands at the same time the toilet got flush. After washed hands, the used water goes into the water tank beneath and used for the next user's flush. Nowadays it may be called "Eco-friendly System" to save water, but when it was invented I'm sure there wasn't such a concept. Probably it was an idea came from "Mottainai" feeling. 

"Mottainai" is a Japanese word to express an emotion which is "feel sorry for wasting things, or things/people are not treated as it deserves". The word is used a lot in everyday life to remind of "it's not nice to make unnecessary waste" idea. 

Not only the small wash bowl on top of the water tank but also the two symbols on the flush buttons (upper photos) and the lever for flush (lower photos) are equipped by the "Mottainai" feeling. The symbols "大" and "小" are both Chinese characters (Kanji characters), which means "Big" and "Small". They are simple characters therefore even little kids can recognize the meaning. Then when people need a big flush to remove solid matter, they push the "大" button or push down the lever as "大" shows, and when people have only liquid to flush they push the "小" button or push up the lever as "小" shows and use a small flush. 

When you have a chance to use a Japanese toilet, check these system for "Mottainai" and try to use them!