gnaget

Some people here are in a time warp. The only occasions I have seen squat toilets have been in office buildings where one stall is like this, probably to serve so some old timers who prefer this.

Gas stations have pretty spartan toilets and they can be quite old -- moderately clean, but not sparkling. It's also not fun to wash your hands with ice cold water in Nagano in the winter.

My experience is with male toilets.

The toilet at Shibuya station, although not immaculate, is reasonably clean. Imagine a place like that in Europe.....

LapLap

My daughter developed a preference for squat toilets during her last visit. We came across plenty of them, none in offices.
She lives in a modern time bubble having just turned five.

evergrn

I think you are right about this. I find that pretty disgusting.

I have seen some nasty konbini bathrooms. Park bathrooms run the gamut in terms of cleanliness, and I've seen some really clean ones whereas I've also been to some where I've been turned back by foul smell even before entering.

Like someone said before, try to stick to dept stores if possible. But bathrooms in paid areas of Tokyo train stations tend to be acceptable. I do think HKG>TYO overall when it comes to public toilets.

acregal

Lots of train stations have them, in addition to pretty much every public (government) building having at least one. Honestly, when given a choice between a nasty western toilet and a nasty Japanese one, the nasty Japanese one wins.

I honestly think that the biggest problem (as a guy) is that there aren't enough stalls, especially in busy places.

valve bouncer

To avoid the dreaded squatter the disabled toilet is the best bet. I find it interesting that in Japan able-bodied people generally have no problem parking in a disabled spot but would never dream of using a disabled toilet.

LapLap

Do please clean up after yourself if you take this approach. It's not able bodied people using these facilities that ever bothered me, it's those who soil the seats and give no though to the next user. Can be very, very difficult and arduous to clean the area up from a wheelchair and many disabled people are obliged to slide themselves right onto the mess without the option of "hovering".

valve bouncer

OK, my aim is pretty good usually and disabled toilet use is definitely emergency situations only.

LapLap

Was being general whilst expounding on your comment, valve bouncer. Over the years you have more than demonstrated your capacity for thoughtfulness and consideration for others, so I didn't have you in mind particularly. Alas, there are people who don't concern themselves, and when your choice is limited to the disabled toilet it does appear that there are an awful lot of them

roberto99

So on my first visit to Tokyo about 15 years ago, I used the men's room inside the Keisei Ueno train station and was not overly impressed. I recall looking into one of the toilet rooms and saw rust and general disgust.

Later I saw the exact same toilet image on a website for "world's worst restrooms"! haha

So I used the same restroom 2 weeks ago and it has improved a bit.

But the shocker was when I chose to use the public men's room OUTSIDE the Keisei Ueno station... GROSS! VERY WET FLOOR, HAD TO HOLD MY BREATH, TOO! Stunk of intense 100 year old urine. I thought that I was back in Taiwan or China!

So not all restrooms in Japan are trophy winners!

evergrn

In China, you have 100 year old eggs.

abmj-jr

Outside Keisei-Ueno would be very near Ueno Park, which has a large homeless population. I suspect that has something to do with the public restroom situation.

LapLap

As a veteran of Glastonbury, Reading and a whole range of other festivals, I was no stranger to the portaloo. The worst public toilet I ever came across was in Japan. Specifically, on the very outskirts of Kurama during their fire festival.
It took me some time to locate a toilet, and when I finally did, (and it was a unisex facility) saying I was keen to use it was an understatement. I remember opening the door... and then holding my breath and closing it as quickly as I possibly could. I dashed away as fast as my crossed legs would allow me. Ended up being the one time I have ever urinated in public in Japan, having my parents and my fiancé act as a human shield was definitely one of the trip's low points

The only explanation I have for the grotesque level of filth I encountered is that the portaloo had been used previously at another location (somewhere mountainous with limited access except by rough terrain) and thrown, unemptied, into a lorry where it was left unsecured to rattle around on the bumpy journey before being dumped into the Kurama field. Either that, or some of the locals were fed up with enduring the hoardes and got together in order to fill up and then throw around the portaloos as a form of revenge on us visitors.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/6424654-post3.html

evergrn

I've experienced my share of filthy toilets in Jpn. But the one that's etched in my mind forever as the nastiest public bathroom ever was the one at Brighton (UK) rail station when I was there in late 1990's.

jib71

Fixed. I can attest (thanks to personal experience of Brighton Station two weeks ago) that it's gleaming and fresh-smelling today. Really one of the better loos around ... but you now have to pay 20p to enter.

This seems to be a common pattern for public lavatories in UK railway stations. The Victorians would be horrified that we've lost our sense of the need to provide free public conveniences. Walking around London, you can see so many that have been closed down. Some have been converted into bars and even restaurants. Can't bring myself to eat in a place that still has urinals on the wall, no matter how clean:
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandst...ts-in-pictures

evergrn

Glad to hear that. Actually, just thinking about that old Brighton Station restroom scene gets me nauseated. Those toilet cafe pictures on your linked article do nothing to relieve it.