Facilities

This is the next post of our Japan trip.  It took place in September but I only managed to write these notes a couple of months later.  For contemporaneous reports, take a look at Track My Tour -- a brilliant app that I used to ... well, track our tour.  Here is the link.

I have to digress at this point for a moment to discuss the facilities.

They really do look what we'd expect in the west, but they really are very different.  I miss them!

Starting with the loo, it looks normal except for the fact that it is plugged in to something.  That's the seat warmer for those cold days when you don't want to sit down and be uncomfortable.

It also has a control to one side.

The button looking like a bottom with a Y underneath is the bidet.  To its right is the jet.  And to the far right is the one that no man should ever try out.  Same for the orange button on the left.  It looks like the ejector seat option.

The control enables you to do a number of things (most were like this one).

1) nothing different -- you can use the loo in the usual way you normally do.  This would be unwise as the next few things really do make this mundane task an exceptional experience.

2) chose the bidet option -- this is something that looks like an upturned bottom or circular fountain.  Once you push this button on the control, you are rewarded with a warming but gentle dousing of water in those bits where the sun doesn't shine (BWSDS).  This is very pleasant indeed and really does feel ... well cleaner.

3) chose the big spurt of water up into those BWSDS -- this is something that looks like a jet of water on the control.  And it is as soon as you press that button for you are rewarded with a firm but not too strong, and definitely not that invasive, jet of water right up into those BWSDS.  This is definitely the best. The result I am sure is a pristine area.

4) chose the female option -- I didn't dare chose this as I once heard a joke about a chap visiting Japan who went through all the options listed above and thought why not try the female one.  He felt a blinding pain and passed out.  On waking in hospital he asked what had happened and the nurse told him not to worry but that his dangling BWSDS were under the pillow.  Viv said it was nice and I believe her.

Next the shower.  What could possibly be different about this?  Yes, there is a bath but if you look closely you will see that the shower is actually not over the bath and within the glass surround.  It is over the floor.  This is because there is a big drain set into floor somewhere so you can actually take a stool in there with you (like in the onsen) and spend some decent, quality time having a nice shower secure in the knowledge that the water will not flood the bathroom at all.

Everything makes perfect sense to me.  I would like to have this at home please!