How often do public toilets have washlets/bidets?

26 comments

1. i didnt see a single squat toilet in japan, and i only noticed the high tech toilets were in hotel rooms, not really public!

2. I haven’t seen washlets in say subway toilets, but in restaurants, hotels etc they’d be common.

3. https://www.checkatoilet.com and the iPhone app.

   However, I don’t think it’s updated regularly any more. There used to be a lot more people upload photos and whatnot.

4. Most stores and hotels seemed to have bidets.

   Literally the only time I can 100% remember a squatty is Fushimi Inari one bathroom was squatties, airports seem to have at least one squatty sometimes, and another building in Okinawa I went in had a couple squatties.

   At the very least, you’ll find normal westernized toilets, but I’d say more often than not restaurants, stores, malls, etc had bidets.

   BUT imo, or at least most of my experiences, Japanese toilet paper is generally incredibly thin and not all that soft. So while the bidet helps you use less, sometimes later on you’ll uhhhh, find some TP from a previous stop. 😅😂💀

   I’ve debated bringing some of my Quilted Northern Ultra Plush 4ply from America in my backpack before, that plus a bidet would he like heaven of bathroom use.

   Edit: Sidenote, check those temps!

5. I live in Japan and can offer some insight! Squat toilets shouldn’t really be a problem in Tokyo. I live in a pretty rural area and even here they’re only really at parks and some older bars/stations. They’re mostly in really countryside places so Tokyo should be fine. Family Mart (convenience store) usually has a bathroom in it (smaller stores may not) and in every family mart I’ve been to, the toilets have had bidets. As others have said, restaurants and stores will likely have bidet toilets too, tho it’s not a guarantee.

   Sometimes, in public restrooms like at stations for example, they’ll have a kanji on the door of the stall to tell you what kind of toilet it is. 和 is squat toilet and 洋 means western/sit down toilet. What’s more, there’s usually an accessible toilet in a room separate from the regular bathrooms that you can use in a pinch, and they’re always western-style.

   I have digestive issues so I understand the struggle haha when in doubt try to find a convenience store, or dip into a department store. But if you’re staying in Tokyo you should be in the clear 🙂 convenience stores will more than likely have the bidet toilets

6. Believe me I’ve traveled around the world. The toilets in Japan are the best. You won’t have any problem.

7. They’re sometimes available in public toilets – especially in newer facilities. Concerning Tokyo – They are standard in most retail spaces, such as shopping malls or cinemas. So they’re not present in 100% of public toilets, but you will often run into them.

8. Standard toilets are also by far a preferred mode also for a Japanese public, if queues are any indication.

   Tokyo should not be a problem with department stores switching to the washlets/bidets years ago. Most of JR and subway stations in the area had also been renovated in preparation of Olympics.

   Where you may run into squat toilets: unrenovated stations (but you’d probably have to get somewhat rural in Kanto), at certain public parks/gardens and temples (as the squat toilets are usually replaced there, only when renovation is really necessary).

   If you go into rural areas, the situation might be better or worse, depending upon when the last major renovations were completed and you can run afoul into issues even at major stations: Osaka station started to replace squat stations as a part of Expo 2025 preparations and Nagasaki station as a part of refurbishing the station for shinkansen expansion.

9. Most public toilets – I’m gonna say 99% of public toilets in urban areas – will have at least a regular western-style toilet. It’s more split in rural/non-touristy areas though.

   I don’t remember ever seeing a washlet in a *fully* public toilet, at least not here in Kyoto, but they are quite common in ostensibly private businesses; restaurants and the like, sure, but also konbini, many of which turn a blind eye to people walking in off the street and using their toilet. That’s probably your best bet for full washlet!

10. When I was in Tokyo, I found exactly one washlet, in an old-school subway station near the national museum. A modern one was less than a mile away.

11. If you’re in Tokyo you’re fine. Any department stores, and big retailers have it. Squat toilets are rare now, and you might still find it at the highway stops but majority are not this style.

    I also just flew in to Tokyo so ask any questions if you have any.

12. Download the Flush app!

13. An advice about using the fancy “smart toilets” (with user menu): learn the most important signs in Japanese in advance! (Search for an educational video on YouTube!) Many smart toilets don’t have English signs, only kanji! Do avoid the situation when you can’t find the right button to press at that special moment. (I think, learning the “Small” and the “Large” kanji is essential.)

14. I encountered Squat toilets at the Shinjuku government building ground floor and Nagoya station. Otherwise all were fancy or just normal

15. Squatties in many of the older train stations.

16. Most visitor-friendly destinations you go to should have the washlets. Higher-end transport (planes/Shinkansen) will have washlets at their boarding/disembarking facilities.

    As others have noted, older park buildings and possibly older stores will have squat toilets, so be aware!

17. When I was in Tokyo, the only places I found that were squat only were the park around Meiji Jingu and a public toilet in Takeshita Street in front of Toho shrine.

    Every JR station I went to had washlets so that would be a pretty convenient spot for a public toilet since most of the places you’ll be going to in Tokyo will probably be within walking distance of a JR station.

18. 95% of places will have washlets/bidets.The other 5% what don’t them are sketchy convenience stores, park bathrooms, and rural town public bathrooms.

19. The only place I did not see a washlet/bidet was at Gotokuji Temple, they had a regular toilet. As far as the squatting toilets I found some places had the squat stall as an option while the other stalls in the same bathroom had washlets/bidets. Bidets were definitely commonplace from my experience so I think you’ll be good.

20. Let me tell you, Tokyo is godsend for people who have IBS or have to go #2 frequently. Pretty much all public bathrooms that I’ve been to are clean. I’m pretty sure almost all bathrooms I’ve been to had bidets. I think the only spot that I had difficulty finding a bathroom was in shibuya. They had one in the JR station but it was a bit crowded and that particular one was a bit dirty. I drove up to Fuji mtn and there were bathrooms along the way and relatively clean also.

21. In the cities, you’ll find them frequently. I went to a public restroom in Kyoto – it had a bidet AND heated seats. Incredible.

22. Get yourself a Handy Toilette. It charges by USB, and one charge lasts a long time.

23. Very often. It’s rare to find a public toilet without them.

24. Almost always, I didn’t see any western style toilets without the buttons anywhere, it was actually something I had to get used to again when I returned home

    The only odd exception was squat toilets in public toilets in parks, I was surprised how rarely I saw squat toilets

    Just don’t turn the water pressure up too high or you’re in for a surprise…and a very clean asshole.

    The toilet paper is generally shitty 1-ply, but it doesn’t matter as much, you only really use it to dry your ass.

    And don’t forget to use the fart concealer, it just plays the sound of water flushing to drown out the sound of farts.

25. You will find bidet/washlet at almost all places. Always a good idea to look for nearest malls that will most definitely have one. One good option is to buy your own handy washlet. It’s a small compact size, runs on lithium/alkaline batteries, you can refill water and can purchase it online for a reasonable cost. You don’t necessarily need it in Japan, but if you feel uneasy, you should consider investing in it.

26. From my experience, they’re are available nearly everywhere except for pubblic park toilets. Usually those are just normal/squat toilets.