Japan is a world-class country hidden on the Pacific Rim. It is a top destination for travelers who want to experience its legendary cuisine, pop culture, and modern cities. You will encounter certain things when you visit Japan for the first time, especially when it comes to plumbing.
With so many toilets in public places, do you know where to sit and how to flush a Japanese toilet? This article will show you how to flush a Japanese toilet correctly.
Well, I must say that I am completely in love with the Japanese toilet. It makes me feel like I am at a spa. It is a fantastic experience. It is a little strange at first when you flush the toilet. There is no sound back home, so you don’t know if it worked or not, but most likely, it did. For those who haven’t used a Japanese toilet yet, it’s straightforward.
The actual process of flushing a Japanese toilet is relatively straightforward. Like in many other countries, you will typically find a pair of levers divided by a squat and a sit section. Flush forward when the lever is on the squat and backward when it’s just before the sit.
How Does A Japanese Toilet Work?
If you’ve ever visited Japan, you might have been shocked by the unique toilets you encountered. A typical Japanese toilet has many buttons and functions, including bidet functions, heated seats, and even music. But what do all of these buttons do? How does a Japanese toilet work?
In simple words, The Japanese toilet uses a system of flushing mechanisms that pull waste into the bowl, where it is trapped. The tank has a high-pressure flush mechanism that shoots water below and flushes away waste.
Now move on to the bidet function. It is the feature that most Americans find most confusing about Japanese toilets. This function is designed to clean your butt after using the toilet. The bidet uses water to spray your bottom with warm water to cleanse it.
This process is called “bidet” because it resembles a horse’s tail wagging back and forth while they walk—the same motion as your butt while cleaning yourself with this feature.
The heated seat is one of the most popular features of Japanese toilets because it keeps your bottom nice and warm while sitting down on the toilet seat, waiting for nature to take its course (or whatever else you might be doing).
The heated seat also helps prevent colds and other illnesses by keeping your body temperature at an optimal level when using this toilet feature.
Also read our blog how does a toilet flush system work for better understanding about toilet mechanism.
How To Flush Japanese Toilet | 3 Easiest Ways
In Japan, toilets are used in a very different way than they are in the United States. This is because of the difference in plumbing and bathrooms. The following is a guide to how you can flush your toilet in Japan.
Flushing Toilet Through Lever
The easiest way to flush a toilet in Japan is through the lever. The lever is always located on the left side of the toilet and looks like a small handle.
Flushing through this lever will cause water to run through the bowl and clean it out, but it will not provide much pressure. This means that you may flush several times before all of your waste is removed from the bowl.
Flushing Toilet Via Button
Another common way to flush a toilet in Japan is by pressing a button. This button is usually located near or on top of the tank, containing all your waste until it’s flushed into sewage pipes.
If you press this button, water will start flowing into your toilet bowl at high pressure, pushing all waste out of sight so sewage pipes can carry it away.
For more understanding read our blog how does a push button toilet flush work
Flushing Toilet Using Sensor
The sensor toilet is the most common type of toilet in Japan. It’s straightforward to use, and you will not have trouble learning how to flush it.
Sit on the toilet seat with your feet firmly on the floor. Ensure your feet are positioned under the toilet seat, so you don’t accidentally bump into them while using the bathroom.
Push the button on top of the toilet seat or press a button on the side of it if there is one there instead. This will activate the sensor mechanism inside the toilet that detects when someone has sat down on it and then triggers flushing automatically once they’re finished using it without having to touch anything else except for these buttons themselves.
For more details read our blog How To Make Sensor Toilet Flush
How To Operate Washlet | Tips, And Precautions
A washlet is a very advanced toilet with many features. It can be unclear to use at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s easy.
Internal Lighting
To turn on the internal lights, press the Lights button. To turn off the internal lights, press the Light Off button. You can also adjust the brightness and color of your washlet’s integrated lighting system by pressing the Adjust button repeatedly until you reach your desired setting.
If you’re not quite ready to sleep at night but still want some illumination from your toilet seat—or if you want to play around with its various light settings—you can also set it as a night light by pressing both buttons at once until they blink green for five seconds before turning off automatically again.
User Settings
If you want to change the temperature, press and hold the Water Temp button on the remote control until it shows your preferred setting. You can choose from three levels: cold, warm, and hot.
If you want to change the water pressure, press and hold the Water Pressure button on the remote control until it shows your preferred setting. The options are soft, standard, or firm.
If you want to change just how hot or cold that water is coming out of your toilet seat/bowl, go into User Settings by pressing one of those buttons again (Up or Down) until it says User Settings displayed across its face.
Then press Up or Down again to select which setting needs changing (Water Temperature). Press Enter and wait while it adjusts itself as necessary before saving changes with another press of entering at this point – otherwise, they won’t stick.
You can also modify Air Temperature settings if needed (which should rarely be) by accessing them through User Settings. However, this time uses Up & Down rather than Enter after selecting Cooler or Warmer, depending on whether colder air would be preferable, for example, during winter.
When homes tend to be warmly heated anyway without having air conditioning systems switched on year-round, their energy consumption costs are already high enough without adding such an extra expense onto monthly utility bills too!
Kid Mode
Kid Mode is a safety feature. It limits the amount of water that can be released at once, preventing a child from hurting themselves if they play around with the toilet seat or washlet.
Kid Mode is activated by pressing the Esc key on your remote control.
This will lock out all other features except for bidet operation, which means you can still use the bidet without worrying about accidental sprays of water.
Quick Release
The quick release button is a small, white button on the washlet that, when pressed, releases the lid from its locked position. This feature can be helpful in certain situations, such as if you’re using a public restroom or have mobility issues and need to be able to open and close the lid quickly.
Energy Saving Mode
Here are some tips on how to make the most of energy-saving mode.
To turn on Energy Saving Mode, press and hold down the button until you hear a beep. Once the feature is enabled, the light will glow green. When you turn off energy-saving mode, the water pressure setting will automatically return to its previous setting.
To set up Energy Saving Time, press and hold down the button until you hear a beep. If you do not want to use this feature, press and hold down on your toilet’s remote control until it stops flashing red/blue lights (this means it has been disabled).
To disable/reset Energy Saving Mode: Press and hold down “Off” for 5 seconds after turning off your toilet’s main power switch; then wait 30 seconds before pressing any buttons again.
To check how much water savings have been achieved through using this function: Press “Reset Settings” on your remote control unit or sit down in front of your toilet bowl after having finished using it; then press “Reset Settings” again when prompted by an alarm tone coming from inside one of those units’ speakers (this can take place while they’re still being operated).
Auto Open/Close
Auto Open/Close – An auto open/close feature is an option on many washlets available today. This feature automatically opens and closes the toilet seat and lid after using it, which can be helpful for people with limited mobility.
Conclusion
Finding the right way to flush a Japanese toilet may seem trivial, but if you’re a tourist in Japan, it’s essential to learn how to do it properly.