Unit Bathroom
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46)
Wed 2007/04/18 00:22
The lack of space in Japan lead to the development of these units which was actually the first bathroom that I encountered when I first came to Japan many moons ago. These Looked pretty cool to me at the time and I thought that all bathrooms in Japan looked like this! A typical bathroom however looks similar to this (similar to the one we have).
Just to give you an idea of how small it is, when you sit for you daily dump, your knees nearly reach the door. Is Japan the only place in the world with bathrooms like this? Would you swap one of these with what you currently use?
I love living in Japan. I love it so much so that I *only* have one major complaint - ev...(more)
Thu 03/22 01:33 comments (62)
I only started to appreciate how cool Gundam is when I lived in Japan for a few years bu...(more)
Sat 03/17 22:57 comments (34)
I am not CRAZY about the whole concept of Unit Bathroom, maybe due to the fact that I had a first bad experience with it while I was living in Hong-Kong. My first flat in HK was located in Central, and even if this is a fancy place I had a old building with what I can call a Chinese Alpha version of the Unit Bathroom... basically this was looking like this : Take a Shower... with tile on the floor and next to the water sink your toilet... basically you could have been able to make a poop while taking your shower... A real 2 on 1 system !
(ID #46685) Posted on 2007/04/18 02:30
contract killer
I would have to say, the ones in Hong Kong are just as small. And it's not just the bathrooms, it's the entire apartment. I met an elderly couple in Hong Kong who claimed they lived in a space smaller than 500 square feet. The washroom was their largest room! I kid you not.
(ID #46686) Posted on 2007/04/18 02:36
Student
Wow, this totally makes the 4.5 square meter bathroom I have look really big.
(ID #46688) Posted on 2007/04/18 02:52
HAHA !! last time when i went to Japan and stayed at one of the hotels in nagoya .. i encountered this unique small toilet ! it is kinda cool to do all your business in this plastic moulded toilet. PLUS, the toilet's door has NO LOCK !!!
(ID #46689) Posted on 2007/04/18 02:56
Professional Student
Only places I've ever encountered bathrooms like that were on travel trailers (or as everyone else calls them, caravans).
(ID #46690) Posted on 2007/04/18 03:23
I like to poop comfortably not being cramped up tightly in one area
(ID #46691) Posted on 2007/04/18 03:43
Policy & Research Officer
wow if the bathroom are soo small, how do fat people or even sumos take a crap?
(ID #46693) Posted on 2007/04/18 04:13
Gain of space for other rooms in the house vs. comfortable free space exclusively reserved for "natural needs"... That is the question. I don't mind either of them, as I am generally not interested in luxury. I'm rather fine with the minimal rate.
(ID #46695) Posted on 2007/04/18 04:17
Graphic Designer
I think singles and non overweights would find this easy to managed. Cleaning won't be a hassle I must say, though it does resembles the airplane washrooms just adding the shower at the side.
(ID #46696) Posted on 2007/04/18 04:20
Troubleshooter, Universal Exports
I've always hated these tiny bathrooms. I slipped in one after taking a shower once. Well I sure you can guess what happened... ^^; Right now I have a large bathroom, but its layout is not very good. In many ways it's as bad as a small bathroom.
(ID #46697) Posted on 2007/04/18 04:23
Geek Liaison
Now the only bathroom that I seen that was smaller than that was on a Amtrak train. You had the toilet and the sink at either end of about a 2.5 x 5 ft room. Then the shower was the whole room. The shower head was mounted right next to the toilet, to adjust it you kind of had to lean over the toilet, with the drain being about half way between the toilet and the sink.
(ID #46698) Posted on 2007/04/18 05:25
for me who is 6ft 3in my knee's wouldn't be at the door, they'd be in the other room. reminds me of a porta-john......
(ID #46699) Posted on 2007/04/18 05:55
Games addicted
It's like something is missing. In a place like that the "the magic moment" loose his meaning. Sure it works well but what the pic give to me is a feeling of "Stop and go". In Japan, i've been alaways in Hokkaido and i never had the opportunity to meet stuf like that. I'd like to try once. ^^ G.
(ID #46702) Posted on 2007/04/18 07:44
"Smelly" Recruit
i dont think i will ever know how small the toilet is..cos i sit when i dump... and i'm short..lol...
(ID #46703) Posted on 2007/04/18 08:29
Film Student
I'd swap my toilet for a Japanese toilet.
(ID #46704) Posted on 2007/04/18 08:38
My "powder room" on the ground floor is smaller than that. Granted it's a powder room so there is no bath but when you sit down on the toilet your knees have nowhere to go. You can use the sink as an armrest or a grip for the leverage if you need to show it who's boss.
(ID #46705) Posted on 2007/04/18 08:42
Web Developer/ウェブデベロッパー, Photographer/写真や
Nope, I still prefer my current bathroom :) Much bigger in size compared to these unit bathroom. I need my space!
(ID #46706) Posted on 2007/04/18 08:59
Sigit in Jakarta, Indonesia
Wow, just like in coffin. But, that show how efficient the Japanese is. For my self, I don't like the huge bathroom nor tiny bathroom like this. The huge bathroom make feel in my private room. Years ago I was visiting a house of my colleague. It's a very big and beautiful house. When I came into its toilet, it's very-very big for me. It's about 20 square meters (bigger than my private room) and just filled with one toilet and one wash basin. No bathtub nor shower. It's just for pee or "daily dump"! There are other rooms for take a bath. And then I saw this Japanese bathroom, hahaha...
(ID #46707) Posted on 2007/04/18 09:17
Compared to my bathroom, that actually looks several times better in terms of design, appearance and space usage. For mine, you can see the water pipes and sewerage pipes from the units above. Because of the way it is designed, you can't even put a bathtub in there. Therefore, I would prefer these kind of bathrooms over mine.
(ID #46708) Posted on 2007/04/18 10:26
I need enough space in my bog so when I'm 'laying a cable' I can stretch my legs out a bit and read a book or play on my Gameboy. A bathroom should always have at least enough room for an actual bath - showers just aren't as relaxing!
(ID #46709) Posted on 2007/04/18 11:41
went to japan last summer and found out de toilets der were preeti kool becuz dey can flush and wash ur butt hehe. i think its a gdd idea of makin toilets small go go japan!
(ID #46712) Posted on 2007/04/18 12:25
Kaori in Singapore
i wouldn't trade my current bathroom for it, its way too small it looks more like a mobile bathing/toilet cubicle that i sometimes see on the streets...! D: A bath is the only time in the day where one gets to bathe and relax, i think its very important to have a large space and nice ambience to distress ^^;
(ID #46713) Posted on 2007/04/18 15:08
Intern Architect
I hope it has a very good exhaust system...
(ID #46714) Posted on 2007/04/18 15:18
and i used to think i had a small bathroom. those things are tiny.
(ID #46715) Posted on 2007/04/18 16:27
I've read of toilets in Korea where you not only have no room for your knees and the width of the room is barely wider than the toilet, but that you also have to hunch over to sit on the toilet because the ceiling is slanted due to it being under a staircase... I happen to have the luxury of a very LARGE bathroom. I love it.
(ID #46717) Posted on 2007/04/18 18:23
I'm back from my first visit to Japan. On the domestic front I greatly appreciated the automated nature of the toilets inc their heated seats, jet-wash and blow dry. All that was missing was an efficient odour extractor....
(ID #46718) Posted on 2007/04/18 18:47
Composer-DJ-Sound Design.作曲家
Nothing like brushing your teeth a few inches from where you take a dump.
(ID #46719) Posted on 2007/04/18 20:34
Interactive Media Design and Graphic Design
i think this looks very cool lol then again I never had to use one yet hahahha so its good for now. When I lived in Belarus,Europe. There we had separet bathroom for yor bodily functions and then bathroom so to speack for washing. Now, living in USA, in the place where I live we have two bathrooms. One only contains toilet and another contains toilet and everythign else. Both are not very small. There is enough space to do anything.
(ID #46720) Posted on 2007/04/18 20:59
Video Editor / Sound Designer / DJ
I dont know whether typical bathrooms in Japan look like the one displayed at http://www.inax.co.jp/products/bathroom/system/lukinar/ That bathroom look a little too luxurious for the average Japanese Mansion or family house. How many Japanese house-hold bathrooms have you actually seen? In my experience, they look a little more like the one on your blog and this: http://www.jshow.com/ihaven/listings/3.html
(ID #46722) Posted on 2007/04/18 22:30
Designer & Animator
Looks small i wonder how one can take a bath with the cubical just next to the shower?
(ID #46725) Posted on 2007/04/19 00:25
GundamZZ in Toronto, Ontario
yeh...it seems overly exaggerated for the avg bathroom to look like the link u attached.
(ID #46726) Posted on 2007/04/19 01:33
Director/代表取締役
GundamZZ, Sean, Most of the houses that I have personally been to look like the Inax one (mine included) ^^; Kaori, you look very cute in your Haruhi cosplay ^^ Gav! Laying a cable! - Nice one ^o^
(ID #46729) Posted on 2007/04/19 02:40
Student Engineer
It's not something I would want, but would not mind using if I needed to. The United States has about 3 times the population of Japan, yet nearly 50 times the land mass X_X. Typical household bathrooms here in America average: 5by5 to usually 10by10. I am VERY jealous of your bathroom if you have something such as that =p We have a manolium floor, a shower, toilet and sink area. One of the rules when I get my own place is I am getting one of those fancy toilets (the electronic ones that ya know...) because 1) I think they are cool and 2) Im an Engineer, I admire brilliance XD
(ID #46734) Posted on 2007/04/19 02:50
Ya, I like my leg space so this kind of bathroom probably wouldn't be for me. But the thought of being able to shit, shower, and brush my teeth (not necessarily combined every other way (shitting and showering is a no no)) sounds convenient for when I'm in a rush
(ID #46739) Posted on 2007/04/19 03:43
Jeff Lawson in Denver, Colorado, USA
My apartment in Tokyo had one of these... it might have been small, but it was easy to clean. Just squirt some cleaner on everything and hose the room down. I did lose a couple of toothbrushes to the toilet, though. And I can't tell you how many time I banged my head on the door frame coming in and out.
(ID #46741) Posted on 2007/04/19 04:09
Animator/ graphic designer
Its sooo easy to clean~ i want one!
(ID #46753) Posted on 2007/04/19 05:32
Gordon Pekeur in south africa -cape town-
looks cool, but at 6'+ I reckon it'd be a bit hard 2 even take a dump in there .... hehehe ..... cool Idea though ....
(ID #46755) Posted on 2007/04/19 06:24
Gordon Pekeur in south africa -cape town-
Danny U are rite .... Kaori in Singapore is a cutie in her cozplay .... HhhhMmmm .... =P
(ID #46756) Posted on 2007/04/19 06:32
Now thats what I call small.
(ID #46775) Posted on 2007/04/20 02:04
part time illustrationist, doll clothing seamstress
woo this is similar to the hotel bathroom we used when we were in Japan last week (LOL)
(ID #46776) Posted on 2007/04/20 02:39
I suppose if the place you stay at has a bathroom like that you just have to live with it.
(ID #46984) Posted on 2007/04/24 10:16
Membrane in Somewhere in the USA
Actually this questionable idea is nothing new it as the basic concept goes back 1936 with Buckminster Fuller's "of geodesic dome fame "dymaxion bathroom in his dymaxion house. This is a carbon copy of Bucky's original idea. http://www.wnet.org/bucky/bathroom.html
(ID #46998) Posted on 2007/04/25 00:17
Membrane in Somewhere in the USA
Also should be noted you can find a similar setup inside many RVs ,trains,boats and similar vehicles as it kinda reminds me of the one inside my RV though they are not usually one unit though sometimes they are.
(ID #46999) Posted on 2007/04/25 00:27
Danny you wouldn't happen to have a guide on how to use those space age Japanese toilets? I'm a bit scared of having to use them when I go there, being confronted by a huge array of buttons not knowing what any of them do...
(ID #50397) Posted on 2007/06/26 12:18
Grocery Store Clerk
I would liek it. Modualar units are better every way around because it saves space, money materials, and last alot longer. That would be everything that I woudl need.
(ID #182228) Posted on 2008/05/06 10:53
I'm a professional eggroll charmer
Their hotels in general are tiny! But Japan's American food beats America's American food almost any day.
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