PRPG:
Japanese Toilets

3 of the Weirdest Toilets on Earth

July 7, 2015

As you may already know, some countries have toilets that are very different than the one you’ll find in your bathroom.

Japanese ToiletsJapanese Future Toilets

As with many things in Japan, toilets there tend to be incredibly futuristic. While you can still find old-fashioned squat toilets in many public parks, the average commode is straight out of Star Wars. The bathrooms in many hotels and an estimated 70% of private homes feature toilets with fancy gizmos like seat warmers, spray jets that clean the bottoms of users, and sinks on top of their tanks that recycle water after they wash their hands. Newer models can be operated with remote control, spray deodorizers, and can measure the sugar levels in urine. The super advanced potties have become so sophisticated that one manufacturer made a parody version for a trade show in 2009 that was capable of talking and telling cheesy jokes.

Poop Shelf Toilets

Also known as washout toilets, shelf toilets can be found in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, and France.. Here’s how they work: Instead of falling into a bowl of water, these toilets have an “inspection shelf” that leads to a smaller bowl. The poop falls on the shelf and, after the user inspects it for anything unusual—which is apparently something lots of people demand the ability to do—they can push a bottom. Then it’s washed away into the bowl and beyond.

Rural Pig Toilets

While they’re a rarity in the modern age, outhouse-based pig toilets can still be found in certain parts of rural China and India. Instead of a pipe leading to a container or an underground pit, excrement slides down a chute. Then it rolls into an adjacent trough located in an enclosure for pigs. When the piggies get hungry, well, you get the idea. Chinese authorities have made many efforts to ban pig toilets in recent years but, as of 2005, at least a few farms were still using them. If you’ve got a strong stomach, here’s a BBC clip about the toilets but fair warning: watching it may make you swear off pork for the rest of your life.