Toilets in Japan with kids: what to expect and how to cope

Good news for families: Japan has some of the cleanest, most plentiful public toilets in the world. Most are modern “washlet” toilets with heated seats and buttons; you will occasionally meet a traditional squat toilet, usually with a Western option nearby.

What you will find

• High-tech washlets with heated seats, bidet buttons and sometimes sound features — kids find them fascinating.
• Clean, free public toilets in stations, department stores, convenience stores and parks.
• Occasional squat toilets, more common at older or rural sites; look for the accessible or Western-style stall.
• Family and accessible cubicles in many department stores, often with a child seat and change table.

Finding a toilet fast

Department stores, train stations and convenience stores are your reliable stops — never far away in a city. Google Maps lists many public toilets, and the word to recognise is お手洗い or トイレ (toire). A quick “Toire wa doko desu ka?” to staff always works.

Toddlers and potty training

Many department stores have small child-height toilets and potty seats in the baby rooms — a huge help mid-training. Carry a travel potty seat if your child is particular, plus tissues and a hand towel: some public toilets do not provide paper towels, and a few lack soap.

Small things worth packing

• A pack of tissues each (sometimes handed out free on the street as advertising).
• A small hand towel — many Japanese carry one for exactly this reason.
• Hand sanitiser for the occasional basic facility.