How to Use Japanese Toilets
Japanese toilets are clean and easy to use once you know what the buttons mean. This guide explains the control panel, how to flush, and the signs you will see, so you can use any toilet in Japan with confidence.
Western-style and squat toilets
Most toilets in Japan today are Western-style sitting toilets (洋式, yōshiki). You may still find squat toilets (和式, washiki) in older stations, parks and rural areas. Public toilet areas often have both, and the door or a sign shows which is which.
To use a squat toilet, face the hooded end (the raised cover), stand with one foot on each side, and squat. Hold onto the handrail if there is one.
The control panel: what each button does
Many toilets have an electronic seat with a washing function, often called a “washlet”. The buttons are usually on a panel beside the seat or on the wall. Icons are fairly standard across makers, but the Japanese labels help when icons are small.
| Label | Reading | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| 止 | tomeru | Stop. Stops the water spray. Usually the largest button, often orange or red. |
| おしり | oshiri | Rear wash. A small nozzle sprays warm water. Stay seated until you press Stop. |
| ビデ | bide | Bidet (front wash), mainly for women. |
| 乾燥 | kansō | Warm-air dryer. |
| 水勢 / 強 弱 | suisei / kyō jaku | Water pressure: stronger / weaker. |
| 温度 | ondo | Water or seat temperature. |
| 便座 | benza | Toilet seat (for example, seat heating). |
| 音姫 / 流水音 | otohime / ryūsuion | Plays a flushing sound for privacy. It does not flush the toilet. |
| 流す / 大 / 小 | nagasu / dai / shō | Flush. Dai is a full flush, shō a smaller one. |
| 呼出 / 非常 | yobidashi / hijō | Emergency call. Only press this if you need help. |
If water starts spraying and you are unsure what to press, find 止 (Stop). Standing up usually also stops the spray, because the seat has a sensor, but it is safer to press Stop first.
How to flush
There is no single standard. Look for one of these:
- A lever on the tank, marked 大 (full) in one direction and 小 (small) in the other.
- A button on the control panel or the wall labelled 流す or with a flush icon.
- A sensor. Some toilets flush automatically when you stand up, or when you hold your hand over a sensor marked with a hand icon.
Buttons for flushing and for calling for help can be close together on the wall. The emergency button is usually labelled 呼出 and is often red or has a bell or person icon. Read before you press.
Reading toilet signs
| Sign | Meaning |
|---|---|
| トイレ / お手洗い / 便所 | Toilet / restroom |
| 男 / 男性 | Men |
| 女 / 女性 | Women |
| 多目的トイレ / だれでもトイレ / 多機能トイレ | Accessible, multipurpose toilet (wheelchair users, parents with babies, and others who need more space) |
| 使用中 / 空き | Occupied / vacant |
| 洋式 / 和式 | Western-style / squat toilet |
| おむつ交換台 / ベビーシート | Baby changing table |
| 授乳室 | Nursing room |
Multipurpose toilets are meant for people who need them. If you do not, please use the regular toilets so the room stays free.
Etiquette and useful tips
- Toilet paper goes in the toilet. Japanese toilet paper dissolves in water. Do not put it in the bin.
- Sanitary products go in the small bin (汚物入れ) in the cubicle, not in the toilet.
- Carry tissues and a small towel. Some park and older public toilets have no paper, and many have no paper towels or hand dryers.
- Toilet slippers. In homes, ryokan and some restaurants, there are slippers just for the toilet. Change into them at the door and leave them there when you come out.
- Public toilets are almost always free. Toilets in shops and cafes may be for customers only.
Japan's public toilets in numbers
We counted every public toilet mapped in OpenStreetMap across Japan (data as of 2026-09-28), excluding private ones. Here is what the data tells us about features you might need:
| Public toilets mapped | 32,028 |
|---|---|
| Tagged wheelchair accessible | 4,909 (15.3%) |
| With a baby changing table (tagged) | 1,026 (3.2%) |
| Tagged as requiring a fee | 79 (0.2%) |
| With opening hours recorded | 734 (2.3%) |
These are tags added by volunteers. A toilet without a “wheelchair” tag may still be accessible; the tag is just missing. The low share of paid toilets matches the experience that almost all public toilets in Japan are free.
Need a toilet now? Our free map shows the nearest public toilets, with wheelchair access and fee information where known.