What is a girl to do?

I am going to go to japan soon for a little more than a month. I know Japan's toilets are much different than the USA, where you don't sit down. I was wondering: What is a girl to do during her period? Since they do not use toilet paper there... Also, do they have sanitation bins? Another thing I would like to know is during your period how are you to bathe? I am aware of Japanese bathing customes of not draining the tub, and washing outside of the tub etc.

Sorry if this is a weird question. I just really need to know. Better safe than sorry, right?

RainyDays,

I know Japan's toilets are much different than the USA, where you don't sit down.

It depends on where you are exactly, but squat toilets are rapidly becoming a thing of the past in Japan - not just in the home, but even in public toilets.

Since they do not use toilet paper there...

Eh? All toilets in the home and in public have paper, so I presume everyone uses it.

Also, do they have sanitation bins?

Apparently so.

Another thing I would like to know is during your period how are you to bathe? I am aware of Japanese bathing customes of not draining the tub, and washing outside of the tub etc.

Check out a previous thread in which a similar question was asked and kindly answered in detail.

http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+7714

This is presumably really only an issue if you are at a homestay and sharing the bath/bathwater with other people.

RainyDays, you must have the paper thing mixed up with other countries. Japanese females have always been expected to use paper in toilets for centuries.

I'm not really sure what the problem is with using squat toilets during your period. Your underwear can stay just above your knees and it won't get in the way of excreting. In any case, I assume you will usually be disposing your napkin first, do your business, use toilet paper, then you will be applying a new napkin as you put your underwear on again. No problem.

Public toilets usually consist of both squat type and western type to your preference. If you happen to open the door and see a squat type, you are free to inspect the rest to see if there are any western types. Usually there is a sign or illustration on each door notifying which is which.

In the following photo, the sanitary bin is the blue one at the right.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2003.html

Btw, you might be amazed at the variety of sanitary napkins you find at drug stores. You will also be amazed at how high-tech the newer western toilets are.

Explore and have fun!

Thank you so much for this! It REALLY helped! Now I am super relieved.

ARIGATOU!

when Rainy days was mentioning that "they do not use toilet paper" she might have being referring to the washlet toilets that washes one "back" and sometimes also have a dryer. They now are found more and more in department stores and other public toilets. for the inexperienced , DO NOT TURN ON the washlet function to look how it works as you and the whole toilet room will be drenched in water!Always sit down first then turn it on.

I think the shower and dryer on those high-tech Washlet toilets are mainly for feces, in other words, shit. Surely Washlets are also equipped with bidet, but when a female urinates, I think she should use at least one piece of toilet paper even when she is using a Washlet.

Hmm, maybe the webmaster should upload instructions on how to use _modern_ toilets in Japan.

as fas as I can tell there is a button, with a pictogram of a lady, that direct the spray to the front?

as usual I open my mouth before checking wikipedia! check their site for everyhting you need to know and more about toilets in Japan! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toilets_in_Japan

i'm not a girl but this topic brought a smile to my face..

on my 2nd day in japan i started working at a ski lodge in the middle of nowhere. they had these toilets with bidets on them and a million buttons with insane kanji all over.

it did not help that i decided to play with the controls while drunk.

long story short i ended up spraying my (non english speaking) boss with bidet water!! the spray jet was so powerful it went OVER the top of the stall door and hit him standing by the sinks..

still cracks me up to think about it. move the dial counterclockwise to reduce the spray power, that's my advice.

2 years ago My buddy and I took a lady friend from work to Japan. After landing we eventually went to our respective hotel rooms. She called 5 minutes later, laughing like crazy: still all dressed up she had turned the bidet on to see how it worked and got herself and the bathroom totally soaked!.