You may have heard that you shouldn’t flush toilet paper in the toilet in Japan and Tokyo, but you may wonder if this is true. After all, it’s just a big old bowl with water and some sort of magical flushing device on top. It can handle TP, right?
If you’re thinking about going to visit Japan and Tokyo and wondering if you can flush toilet paper in the restrooms there or not, then this article is for you. Keep reading to find out!
What Is the Big Deal with Flushing Toilet Paper?
Toilet paper is generally made of either paper or a combination of paper and cardboard. Toilet paper is specifically designed to wipe away solid waste and clean your delicate areas. Toilet paper dissolves in water and can often be flushed. This requires an advanced system of drains and wastewater processing facilities though. These wastewater processing facilities make sure that the dirty water doesn’t get into the local rivers as this can cause a lot of problems. If these facilities have to process toilet paper as well, they have to be more advanced and this requires a big investment.
Not every country or city has this advanced system. This might be because the country is quite large or because they decided to invest the funds somewhere else.
You will mainly find these plumbing systems in America, Asia and Europe. More rural areas can have septic systems that process the wastewater locally.
In some areas of the world, the width of the drains is not big enough and toilet paper would clog them. Wastewater would back up and make the toilet overflow. This can result in wastewater all over the house. Next to bad smells, it also results in a dirty house. When those pieces of toilet paper break down, they create a very thick, sludgy substance that winds up jamming your household pipes and the local sewage systems. When these materials enter the sewer system, they cause major problems.
In some instances, it can be removed by flushing a lot but this is not always the case. A plumber will have to come out to clear the drains with a water jetter or an auger. This costs quite a lot of money. If there is a big clog, it might be needed to dig up the drain and open it up. This is a lot of work and can result in a big expense.
Can You Flush Toilet Paper in Japan and Tokyo?
The short answer is “yes”. The plumbing system in Japan and Tokyo is able to process toilet paper. You should find toilet paper next to the toilet and you can use it as you normally would. In more rural areas this might not be the case though and you have to dispose of the toilet paper in a bin.
Some countries such as Dubai use a bidet. In other countries such as Greece, you have to throw the toilet paper in a bin. In Japan and Tokyo, you can just flush the toilet paper and be done with it.
They have an advanced wastewater system that processes the toilet paper to make sure that the water is clean before it gets into the rivers. There shouldn’t be any problem with using toilet paper in Japan and Tokyo. Just make sure that you don’t use paper that is too cheap. You can test this by dipping it in water three times and see if the toilet paper dissolves. If it doesn’t, it can indicate that you should get other toilet paper as it might clog your drains.
You can’t flush wet wipes or paper towels though as these don’t dissolve in the toilet drains and can cause clogs. A plumber might have to remove these with heavy equipment. The same is true in other countries as toilet systems are not designed to flush these items. For this reason, you should only flush toilet paper and no other types of paper. This is the case for any toilet though as they are not designed to deal with items that don’t dissolve in water.
Plumbers often get called out to fix clogs that have been caused by wet wipes. This can create a lot of damage so this should be avoided at all costs. You also shouldn’t flush food scraps, cooking oils or other waste. These should go in the bin.
Some people have a septic system in this city but you should be able to flush toilet paper anyway. If it isn’t allowed, you should see a sign indicating this.
Do they use toilet paper in Japan and Tokyo?
Yes, they use toilet paper in Japan and Tokyo. You should find it in every toilet stall. You can ask for more if it has run out. It is the same quality that you are used to at home so you will have a similar experience.
When it comes to public restrooms, you should always follow the rules that are posted. In the restrooms in Japan and Tokyo, you should flush toilet paper.
Japan has a lot of beautiful nature that you can visit. From special trees to mountains, there is a lot to see. You can also try the great local dishes and see how they are being prepared by expert chefs.
While there are some cultural differences with other parts of the world, when it comes to toilets there are a lot of similarities. They also use toilet paper and flush it after use. In fact, some of the biggest toilet manufacturers are based in Japan.
Bidets are quite popular in Japan as well so don’t be surprised if you see one. In most instances, people use bidets and toilet paper in Japan. This makes it easy to clean up after you have been to the toilet.
Have a great trip to this special country.
