Advanced Japanese Toilets

I taught in Japan before coming to South Korea, and so was interested to recently read a news article about modern Japanese "super toilets" that may, variably, have heated seats, jet streams, music, different flushing modes, etc. The reading brought back memories.

One of the classes I taught was in a corporate building. The class was for company workers, and I was expected to dress well. However, the weather was hot and humid, so I would wear summer clothes to the building and then go into a bathroom and change into slacks, a long-sleeved collared shirt, and tie.

Now, the regular men's bathroom was nice enough, but one day it was busy so I ducked into the handicapped-accessible one. Wow. Quite well done. After I changed I sat down on the toilet to do my thing and noticed, straight off, that the seat was very well-cushioned. Then I saw, next to my right thigh, at my right fingertips, a whole series of electronic buttons. I realized that I was on a fancy toilet, but, for the life of me, couldn't figure out how to flush the damn thing.

Finally, I noticed a pull rope hanging down from the same right side. Oh! In my experience, normal toilet flushing involves either a button, a lever, or a rope, so, of course, having little other option, I pulled the thing.

A few seconds later, while I was zipping up, there came a frantic pounding on the door, with some exclamations in Japanese. I opened the door, unsure what to expect. Two older Japanese men were there, excited, intent, serious. They asked me some questions in Japanese, and I, catching their drift, assured them I was ok.

Turns out that, thrown off course by the advanced toilet, I had pulled the "I've fallen and can't get up!" emergency alarm.

Embarrassment.

That's a lesson I only had to learn once.