Public toilets

As the days are becoming darker and colder, I start thinking back to the days when in winters my parents, my two older brothers and I would squish ourselves into a car to drive to snowy wonderlands. There was something relaxing about the gentle swaying of the car and the light snoring of one brother on each side.

But then slowly this feeling would creep upon me. I’d try to ignore it for a while, but it would keep making its way back, growing stronger every time, until suddenly I’d burst out: “Mom! I have to pee!” My mother would reply with a deep sigh and a flicker of regret of ever having children in her eyes. After finding our way to the nearest rest stop and pushing one of my brothers out of the car, my mom would take me by the hand to expose ourselves to the biggest horror in human existence: public restrooms. The smell of old urine and feces, the toilet paper scattered all over the floor, unidentified liquids everywhere and that terribly cold, metal bowl that you had to squat over (because god forbid you touch the bowl. Never touch the bowl). With modern day technology, why do such horrors even exist still?

Fear not: as always, Japan has the answer. While the rest of the world is keeping busy with silly things like refugees and wars, Japan is focusing on the really important problems. The Japanese are introducing the crème de la crème of the public toilets: sensors to see which stalls are free, monitors to check which toilet allows for changing babies and twice as many toilets for women as for men (Finally! Justice!). Why all this, you ask? To win the Japan Toilet Award. That’s right, Japan has an award for the best toilet. Who cares about the Noble Prize when you can win the Toilet Award!? If only every country could be as great as Japan.

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