CONTENTS
In a country known for bathroom innovation (who doesn’t want a Toto washlet with a seat warmer in their own home?), Japanese toilets come in all shapes and colors. Check out a few of our favorites, Japan’s best toilets, found all around the land of the rising sun.
The Shinjuku Robot Restaurant Toilet: Glimmering Gold & Florals
The moment you walk into Shinjuku's Robot Restaurant, you know that things are going to get a little crazy, and that truly extends to all corners of the labyrinthian space. Enter the bathroom and the walls shine a metallic gold, with toilets covered in rainbow floral patterns that will make your head spin.
When you consider the party of shining lights and energy that makes up the main show of the Robot Restaurant, though, the flashy bathrooms are no surprise!
Robot Restaurant Shinjuku
1-7-7 Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Official Website (en)
The Shigeya Urinal, Karuizawa: Unconventional Mechanics & a Gorgeous View
Venture over to Karuizawa, Nagano, a mountain resort populated by the summer homes of the wealthy, and you'll find soba shop Shigenoya. The little restaurant is known for its local soba featuring tasty greens, and sometimes handmade mochi rice cakes. The location is quite literally on the border of Nagano and Gunma prefectures, and hanging off the edge of a cliff… which you can see quite well from the men's toilet. Walk in and you'll be faced with a huge window, so you can do your business and admire the gorgeous natural scenery at the same time.
But that's not all that's special about this bathroom. The urinal in the men's room is made with a kettle, so flushing, well, it conjures up images of tea that we'd rather not think too hard about. Users of the women's bathroom don't get quite the same spectacular view, but don't worry, they do get a small fish tank directly above the toilet. Plus, some fake owls staring down from the ceiling. (And anyone can go out onto the restaurant's multilevel deck to get a good view of the natural scenery on the prefectural border!)
Shigenoya (しげの屋)
2 Togemachi, Karuizawa, Kitasaku District, Nagano
The Nasu Trick Art Museum Bathroom: Confusing Illusions & Effects
The Nasu Trick Art Museum is packed full of illusionary art, which lines the walls, covers the floors, and even trickles into the bathroom. Go to open the door of what seemed like an empty stall, and you'll see a friendly face staring back at you, offering up a roll of toilet paper. Even if these bathroom buddies are just painted onto the walls, hopefully you don't mind being watched while you're in there.
This strange child wrapped in toilet paper can clearly spare a square. Plus, if you can't get enough of the toilet-themed photography, you can always pretend you're getting sucked down the pipe yourself!
Nasu Trick Art Museum (那須とりっくあーとぴあ)
5760, Takakuko, Nasumachi, Nasu-gun, Tochigi
Official Website (jp)
The Outhouse of the Old Bito Family House: Traditional & Elegant Aritayaki
This urinal is officially out of commission, but the gorgeous craftsmanship means it's still definitely worth a look. It's found in a little bathroom connected to the old house of the Bito family, a beautifully preserved home of a wealthy merchant family in Yosano, Kyoto. The large house sits along the Chirimen Kaido, a street once known as the go-to location for buying traditional Japanese chirimen fabric, and this toilet was once used by customers who came to the home to purchase textiles. That's probably why it's so very elegantly crafted, to impress buyers and keep them coming back!
The little toilet room is connected to the deck of the main house, but juts out into the garden entrance where customers once entered the premises. If you take a look at the pictures onsite, you can see that the traditional urinal once came with porcelain spots for your feet, as well, to keep your socks pristine. On top of that, it's all decorated as Arita ware (or Aritayaki, 有田焼), a traditional form of decorated Japanese porcelain!
Old House of the Bito Family (旧尾藤家住宅)
1085 Kaya, Yosano, Yoza District, Kyoto
Official Page (jp)
So, which bathroom would you most like to try out? Have you seen any other unusual toilets in Japan? Send us some pictures (…of bathrooms not currently in use!) and let us know your thoughts on twitter, instagram, and facebook!
Details
NAME:The Toilets of Japan
MAP
PROFILE
Follow us @Japankuru on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
COMMENT
FEATURED MEDIA
VIEW MOREA Very Special Trip on the Ferry Sunflower #japankuru #ferrysunflower #hokkaidotrip #japanexperience #japantrip #girlstrip #oarai #tomakomai #北海道 #北海道旅行 #茨城 #홋가이도 #일본선박여행 #토마코마이 #이바라키 #북해도 #페리여행 #여행에미치다 #여자끼리 #日本渡輪 #sunflower號 #坐船旅行 #日本女子旅 #日本體驗
Japanese Makeup Shopping • A Trip to Kamakura & Enoshima With Canmake’s Cool-Toned Summer Makeup #pr #canmake #enoshima #enoden #에노시마 #캔메이크 #japanesemakeup #japanesecosmetics
⚔️The Robot Restaurant is gone, but the Samurai Restaurant is here to take its place. Check it out, and don't forget your coupon! 🍣신주쿠의 명소 로봇 레스토랑이 사무라이 레스토랑으로 부활! 절찬 쿠폰 발급중 💃18歲以上才能入場的歌舞秀,和你想的不一樣!拿好優惠券去看看~ #tokyo #shinjuku #samurairestaurant #robotrestaurant #tokyotrip #도쿄여행 #신주쿠 #사무라이레스토랑 #이색체험 #할인이벤트 #歌舞伎町 #東京景點 #武士餐廳 #日本表演 #日本文化體驗 #japankuru #japantrip #japantravel #japanlovers #japan_of_insta
Japanese appliance & electronics shopping with our KOJIMA x BicCamera coupon! 用JAPANKURU的KOJIMA x BicCamera優惠券買這些正好❤️ 코지마 x 빅 카메라 쿠폰으로 일본 가전 제품 쇼핑하기 #pr #japankuru #japanshopping #kojima #biccamera #japaneseskincare #yaman #dji #osmopocket3 #skincaredevice #日本購物 #美容儀 #相機 #雅萌 #日本家電 #일본여행 #면세 #여행꿀팁 #일본쇼핑리스트 #쿠폰 #일본쇼핑 #일본브랜드 #할인 #코지마 #빅카메라 #japankurucoupon
Odaiba's DiverCity Tokyo Plaza is home to the famous real-size 20m-tall Unicorn Gundam, and the popular shopping center has even more Gundam on the inside! Check out the Gundam Base Tokyo on the 7th floor for shelves upon shelves of Gunpla, and the Gundam Base Tokyo Annex on the 2nd floor for cool anime merchandise. Both shops have tons of limited-edition items! #pr #odaiba #tokyo #tokyotrip #japantrip #japantravel #PR #divercity #divercitytokyoplaza #tokyoshopping #gundam #unicorngundam #gundambasetokyo #anime #otaku #gunpla #japankuru #오다이바 #다이바시티도쿄 #오다이바건담 #건담 #일본건담 #건프라 #건담베이스도쿄
#okinawa #japankuru #littleuniverse #littleuniverseokinawa #오키나와 #리틀유니버스오키나와 #일본여행 #沖縄 #iias沖縄豊崎 #dmm카리유시수족관 #오키나와여행 #沖繩小小宇宙博物館 #iiasokinawatoyosaki #이이아스오키나와 #japanesekawaii #japantrip #okinawajapan #okinawatrip