音‘Introduction
Excretion, it is one of the acts that are indispensable to a life of people. Urine will come also out of the people of constipation. The space which people will surely be indebted at once a day is toilet. The toilet is also called the last space that can taste the loneliness left behind to the man of today. If surely we go into a single room, nobody can enter the room. Toilets always exist at the corner of the building, where people rarely come. It﹊s very silent place. We can also meditate alone, sitting on a Western style toilet bowl. We can read books calmly. We can﹊t do so on a Japanese style one. That posture is not fit for a long stay. I have to appreciate Western style one.
What remain in my memory about a Japanese style dipping-up formula toilet are the recollections of fear. The toilet in the mountain which I went when I was small was that one. Although I had been heard from parents about the old toilet as a joke, I think that this time was the first encounter of the dipping-up one. There was intense smell at the moment I came in the toilet. Although I went into the single room and looked for the toilet bowl looks like chair for excrement, there was only a hole. Public toilet is made considering ordinary adults as symmetrical. Therefore, naturally the size of the hole was also for adults. For me as a small boy, it was the fearful hole. I had to do my job by ranging over the hole. ﹍What will happen to me if I fall into a hole?﹎ I worried about that during doing my job. However, since my object was coming out at any moment, I decided to do my business reluctantly in the hole. While excreting, I watched the inside of a hole. Downward, there were the things of various colors. My surroundings, flies were flown noisily. This is my recollection.
In fact, I had fallen at once into the toilet bowl. It happened when I used the flush Western-style toilet in a house. I don't know the reason but young myself who was excited, stood on the toilet seat after the excretion and the flushing. And one of my feet was thrust into the puddle. If it was a dipping-up one, I would thrust in the jar filled with feces and urine. So, for myself, a Japanese style dipping-up toilet bowl is the thing of fear.
Japanese style toilets are decreasing in number recently . Of course, the Western-style toilet is increasing as the substitute. But since I had also been indebted to a Western-style toilet since I was born, invasion of a Western-style toilet would start before fairly. At the time I was a schoolchild, all the toilets of an elementary school was a Japanese style. Although foreign style may exist as objects for visitors, I did not know that, and I do not remember. The toilet at nearby station was a Japanese style dipping-up rest room. I thought it was very extraordinary that dipping –up one was still remain in the station, and I was proud of that station in mind secretly. In other word, I felt the history. But several years ago, as soon as escalator was installed in the station, the toilet has also been pulled down. It was somewhat sad to me that one dipping-up rest room disappears again. I expected secretly that the toilet was probably saved as a commemorative building, but it has been lost. And the new toilet was set up. Of course, it had become a flush toilet. The composition of toilet changed into that a Japanese one and a Western one. It was invasion of a Western-style toilet. When the repair work of a toilet is performed next, a Japanese style toilet will surely disappear. Indeed, I also think that Western one is more useful than Japanese one. Only the fault was found although I thought of what there will be as an advantage of a Japanese style toilet for a while, using the Japanese one in the Tachikawa Minami station. Then some of the fault is mentioned. First, unreasonableness is in a posture. Legs get tired. Appearance is deplorable. In the worst-case scenario, excrement may fall out of a toilet bowl. During excrement, a smell goes up from the toilet bowl that is just under a nose. Next, I will write about the advantage of a Western-style toilet. The advantage of this type is that western one solved the fault of a Japanese style toilet mostly. We can read a newspaper, sitting on a toilet bowl, since the posture is easy.
I research this theme by reading books and think sitting on a toilet sometime. Then I wrote about, history of toilet in Japan, history of toilet in Western, and the situation when Western style toilet comes into Japan. I did this research only by books and didn﹊t do any questionnaires so, this report might lack last date. But as compensation for that, I wrote about my experience and I think I use books efficiently.
頁.History of toilet in Japan
Probably a thing called a toilet did not exist in the world of man at first. They were discharging around there like animal. Because man was also leading the migration life, they didn't think it was dirty. Since there was little population, excrement was decomposed by natural power. However, people gathered, made the colony and began the settlement life as the time progressed. In having discharged suitably like before, they tread on excrement more often, and must have came to feel displeasure. It is also easy to generate a disease germ. It may be intolerable that excrement is rolling around their houses. Probably, the smell was also severe. So, as a solution, they decided on the specific place to excrement distant from their houses and did it there. They may dig a hole and possibly they not only merely decides on a place, but buried with soil. When the hole filled﹛up, while having repeated to another hole and the hole new again and again. As they do so, they inspired to use a river as a natural flush toilet soon. This is the origin of flush toilet. It is supposed that this form was existed from the Yayoi period. Then, as the center of a life shifted to farming from hunting, the role of a toilet also changed. They realize that feces and urine become manure, it is wasteful to throw away, and it should be stored. So, after realizing that matter, a hole (excrement storage place) is dug in the place distant from the dwelling, and they came to do excrement there. In order to protect the excrement used as important manure, the closet that protects a hole was drawn up and it became the prototype of a dipping-up formula rest room. Dirtiness did not become the reason of toilet birth, but a strictly economical thought "it is wasteful" was the reason. This was at the Kamakura period. But it was only people in a farm village part to do so. The people of a city part were performing excretion without thinking about where to do. Next, I want to explain about development of the toilet in a city. Development in a city part has largely depended on aristocrat class. In the Nara period, a portable toilet bowl was imported from China continent, and it is called "Shinohako", and began to be used among aristocrats. The toilet bowl was a height of 25cm, width 30cm was made of wood in the shape of a pipe or a box. The usage was like this "Having hidden in shade and evacuate with the box if the desire to excrement appear." "Shinohako" was generalized when the Heian period came. However, it became troublesome to carry a box always. They may be found by someone, even if they hid when they excrement. At such occasion, both men who found and men who were found -- each other --feel unpleasant.
So, that﹊s why the toilet space "Gohiden" would be born in a house. Even if a toilet space is born at an aristocrat's mansion, general people are not having got to know. Outdoor evacuation was still continued among the general people. Even though, as the time passed, farmers had came to come also for city parts to get manure. Shortly after becoming so, the custom of storing excrement and generalization of a toilet was also performed soon, since d Japanese people is economical. A Portuguese missionary who visited Japan in the AzuchiMomoyama period was surprised by the toilet in Japan and said, "The toilet in Japan are made to face a road, although the toilet in Europe is made in the place which is not attached to the public notice, and moreover being wide opened by all men who are walking around." It is origin of public toilet. When the Edo period came, the toilet was installed for every crossing on the road. The reason of these public lavatory births is not kindness from the bottom of heart, but is based on a practical reason for collecting urine and selling to a farmer as manure. When national isolation was solved, and it became the Meiji era, the number of the foreigners who stay in Japan increased. Even though, among Japanese people, it is still common to evacuate anywhere in the place where is no toilet. Flush toilet was in use in Europe of those days. Therefore, naturally the spectacle must have been intolerable to the eyes and the nose for the foreigner who stays in Japan .Of course the protest poured into Japanese government. Restraining order for outdoor evacuation was taken out in response to the voice. It was Yokohama in which many foreigner lives that the modernistic public toilet was made first. However, it was only the thing that installed big slack, and enclosed them by the wooden wall.
風‘ History of toilet in Western world
The oldest toilet in the world that still exists is unearthed from the royal palace in B.C. 2200 at the ruins of TELL ASUMARU (Mesopotamia area) of eastern Iraq. The toilet is flush type and the toilet bowl made of brick was accumulated to shape the U character-like chair. The drainage was passed through the drainpipe made from china along the royal palace to the river. Moreover, the toilet of the common residence in B.C. 2100 was also unearthed, and it was structurally the same as the place one. As﹛it is called the Fertile Crescent, the Mesopotamia area was the fertile land inserted into two big rivers in the Tigris Euphrates River . So, excrement did not need to be used as manure. Therefore, clean flush toilet was adopted and excrement was passed into the river. Next, I will write about the toilet in the Roman Empire that unifies the Mediterranean world and has great influence on the Europe culture? The toilet Roman used is classified into four types. The 1st one is a toilet for common residences called "RASANA." It was dipping-up formula toilet and was very easy structure which puts a saucer on the bottom of a hole with a chair type toilet bowl. The 2nd one is a simple public toilet called "GASUTORA." It was also an easy dipping-up type which installs jar at a roadside. This public toilet has another purpose besides keeping a road clean. In Rome of those days, they used urine as materials of manufacture of soap. That is, they collect the materials. When water-and-sewage equipment was made in Rome, a flush toilet will appear. then, the 3rd toilet was made as a public flush toilet called﹛"KUROAKINA". The 4th is a flush toilet for common residences called "RATORINA".﹛Rome was a city-state. So, there is no farmland near Rome. There is no necessity of using feces and urine as manure. Therefore, clean flush toilet became common. However, the Roman Empire was also ruined in 476 and the Germanic people were fixed to various parts of Europe. They lived on stock farming and farming long before. Of course, they just finished large movement and did not know flush and did not use it. Their toilet was the sheet type one with jar for stock excrement. Outdoor evacuation was an everyday occurrence like Japan. This dipping-up formula toilet spreads all over Europe with Germanic peoples' activity. Toilet culture went into the time of stagnation. each castle of each kingdom﹛had some toilets, but they were all dipping-up formulas. As those days passed, a portable toilet bowl like a stool or a urine bottle was considered as convenient one. And the custom of throwing away the collected excrement from a window had been common. Historically, medieval times is called a dark age, it is referred to as Dirty Days in the history of health. This bad habit had spread also among ordinary city people. The excrement from a house was thrown away from the window regardless of time to the lower way. They threw away, although people would walk downward. So, those who walk along a town began to wear high-heeled shoes and are clothed in a long overcoat, and came to be covered with a bucket on the head. This bad habit was seen till the end of the 18th century in Edinburgh, Britain. Although feces and urine might be used for manure in the farm village part, manure is unnecessary to a city. Excrements must be thrown away. Europe of those days was dirty because of such reasons. It is unavoidable that the plague and infectious diseases, such as typhoid fever, were going around in such health environment. However, there were of course those who cannot bear this bad habit. The revival of a flush toilet is based on British Sir John Herington﹊s invention in 1596. It was put in practical use first in the Versailles royal palace in France, and became common over 200 years after that. The process of generalization is as follows. The toilet that spread first is called Turkey style toilet. There is the hole for evacuation and place to put feet on across the hole. The toilet was squatting style one like Japanese orthodox one. And there is equipped with the water included in the bucket in the single toilet room. Since excrements directly dropped to a hole, there is almost no necessity using water. Only when the user missed to drop it into hole and make toilet dirty, they use water to flush it. Therefore, in the case of this toilet bowl, the amount of the water used can be managed with necessary minimum. This type was in use in Europe till the second half of the 19th century. In the second half of the 19th century, the so-called seat-type Western style toilet bowl appeared. Of course, it is flush type. It was the system of dropping a thing into a puddle, like present-day one. The health administration office of those days considered that this toilet bowl is more sanitary and began Turkey style abolition. Of course, the objection came out. The main opinions are as follows. Waste of water. Since the skin directly touches with a toilet seat, there is danger of an infectious disease in a new-type toilet bowl. As a anatomical﹛reason, the former squats down﹛posture heightens the contraction power of anal muscles, and is efficient. When it becomes a seat formula, possibility of being in a toilet for a long time and causing masturbation is large. The sanitary flush toilet bowl permeated in society compulsorily. A sewer is also fixed and it becomes like present.
飛‘The time of Western style toilet come into Japan
When it became Meiji era, flush toilet appeared among Japanese toilet. It appeared because of demands of Western people in Japan. The system of the toilet is like this. A tank filled with water was set on the ceiling and wash excrement away using the water. Of course, it was an imported one, and it was from Britain and seat type one. It is generally called Western type in Japan. Here, I got a question where the excrement went. There was no sewer in Japan of those days. The construction of sewer in big cities in Japan started in end of Meiji era. The first sewage disposal plant was built in 1927. That﹊s why I got a question and how did they dispose excrements? Did they stock excrements and water in the jar? Did they make instant short sewer led to river? Don﹊t matter which way was taken, there is no doubt that the concept of sewer was imported accompany with import of flush toilet. The start of construction of sewer and the time of importing flush toilet was very close. Flush toilet was accepted by most of Japanese and was generalized. Then, because of the necessity of disposing excrements, government decided to construct the sewer. This flush toilet was accepted among Japanese soon. There are some reasons for it. First, long ago, there was a custom in Japan that wash excrement away into river. Second, Japan of those days took Europe as a model of development in various points. Maybe, Japanese government thought that flush toilet was necessary for being accepted as a member of the developing country by other country. And the third, because of the increase of population, it became difficult for farmers to use all excrement of those days up as manure. As a result, excrement lost the place to go after they were evacuated. Therefore, the concept of clean and sanitary flush toilet was accepted without sense of incongruity. But the form of toilet became a problem. From primitive ages, Japanese people have done feces in squatting down style all the time. There exists a Japanese word "UNCHINGU STYLE" and it is general word. If suddenly be said to sit on a chair and evacuate from now, it was very hard for them and they couldn﹊t do. Although it can do somehow, getting used should take time. If I take an example in present age Japan, we feel the same feeling when we suddenly said to evacuate feces at the toilet bowl for urine. A lifestyle is not changed so easily. Then, the method of burying a foreign style toilet bowl underground was thought first. It was done to make the height of pool of a Western style toilet bowl become the same height as ground. Then, Japanese old style, evacuating in the squatting style became possible. But, there was no "KINKAKUSHI "which protect the testis of man. It is like a trap. I can understand since I also actually used it in the mosque, I didn﹊t have a settle feeling too. There continues to be bad reaction and a long and slender toilet bowl called the India toilet bowl was imported. "KINKAKUSHI" was attached in this and it﹛was embedded to the floor. But, there existed also problem. Because men drop feces into a puddle, the rebound of water occurred frequently. Then, improvement was performed to this toilet bowl. The bottom was attached with the leaden board, the bottom of a toilet bowl was raised and the quantity of water was reduced. Also after this, improvement and research continued.
Then, in Taisho 6 the 1st Japanese style toilet made in Japanese was completed. What will become the prototype of the present form was completed as a result of a subsequent improvement﹛in Showa 16 . When the postwar period came, a flush toilet came to occupy the mainstream . There were some reasons for it. It is one of those that stopped using feces and urine as manure by an improvement of the health situation by the U.S. Forces under the occupation and development of chemical fertilizer. Moreover, with the spread of flush toilet, the shift to the seat-type Western style toilet bowl of a formula from the Japanese style also began maybe from yearning to the United States. In Showa 35, Housing Corporation of Japan decided to take Western style. The number of shipment is extended quickly and the number of shipment that is in Showa 50 has a ratio of the Japanese style 3:foreign style 7.However, The Japanese style still remains. According to the questionnaire the Housing Corporation conducted in those days, such a Japanese style lover's foreign style contrary opinion is like this. ﹍Putting one's hips on the place from which the other one's hips were taken down is dirty﹎, "cold ","what comes out will stop coming out of if we have to in that posture" Now, though the number is small, the Japanese style exists in places where people gather, such as a station and a department store. It is the proof that the Japanese style lover still exists. And it is said that contrary opinion against Western one has not changed. I want to say those who complain we are still not getting used to a seat formula, ﹍you already get used to﹎. There are much fastidious men of not wanting to come others and the hips into contact with. It is toilet bowl fastidious men said that it is disagreeable that the hips come into contact with indirectly with a toilet bowl although not cared about a strap in the train or a public bath something at all. Surely it is worrisome when I hear that. I can understand the feeling. It is the last resistance of a Japanese style toilet bowl. However, that is nothing. Considering such fellows, there are installed the sheet of paper to preserve hips touch the bowl in the department store and hotel. To the fellows who have said that the hips are cold, I want to say, "attach a toilet seat cover" "or endure it". Their mental problem should be solved now. The solution of technical and institutional problems at the time of the shift to flush toilet is as follows. It is said that it is the Meiji first year and the Tsukiji hotel hall in Tokyo that the flush toilet was prepared for the first time in Japan. (According to "a Japanese construction equipment biographical sketch") according to the regulation of the filth cleaning-up method in Meiji 33, feces and urine collected in jar had to be drawn up every time, and had to carry out to a treatment plant. This was impossible for the flush toilet that uses a lot of water. Then, enforcement regulations are changed, and when it had the filth-processing tub, the processing water may be discharged. Since much money was required for equipment, such as a tank of a septic tank and water, flush toilet spread only among an upper class. Flush toilet did not spread among general people. Improvement, on a health and degree of comfort side, of a dipping-up formula toilet bowl was advanced from such the Taisho last stage to the start of Showa. The rebound water was prevented and it was made not to see facilities directly. The Tsumaki style rest room, the Taisho rest room, The Bunka rest room, and the Showa rest room, are famous. Especially, The Showa rest room that uses drainage of a kitchen is the mediation-existence to flush-izing of toilet in ordinary homes. Western style-ization will progress in this way.
食‘Conclusion
As time passed, Western style-ization of a toilet will progresses. However, there is a problem in the flush toilet. It is huge amount use of water. This does not have a solution for a flush toilet. Now the environmental problems are argued all over the world. Moreover, constructing sewers cost an enormous cost. Dug a hole, and a pipe is filled up, connected, and pave the road. It is said that it costs 7-800,000,000 yen per 1km.The position of flush toilet will be in danger.
However, nobody knows that whether dipping-up style is restored. It may be restored in some of the areas like the agricultural region. But, it is impossible to use all men's excrement as manure because of its huge amount. So, now there is a research for new type toilet. One is the combustion rest room that excrements are burned, and made into ashes. The second is the compost bin rest room which excrements are returned into the soil. The merits of new toilets are that omission of time to dip up, simplification of disposition and no need for sewers. From now on, we won't know how the form of the rest room changes. But, it is possible to accept the new style, because Western style-ization of the rest room could be accepted. And, there are also culture and social problem not only the technical problem.
Mr. Kame Tarou who is the president of the company of NIKKEN of the rental may say, "A fast food store, a convenience store and a restaurant are full of the towns of Japan. On the other hand, there is few public rest rooms. Even if Japanese town allow people to eat as possible, it doesn﹊t allow people to evacuate in the town. It is a society like the torture that lacks social morals." 2That is certainly true. Therefore, still discharging urine outside is done in everywhere in the town. There are many people who tried to endure discharging till they find the toilet, but they gave up and do that. Based on the background, the project to install a pay toilet in the street is examined in his company. There is still a room of the improvement in the Japanese rest room environment. A change is supposed to proceed from now on.
首‘Notes
1 KINKAKUSHII“It is the stuff of the Warring States period. There is no time for the samurai when they off their guard, even the evacuating. So, it was installed as a protection. And, try not to spill outside the toilet to collect urine efficiently, because excrements became money. The reason of the birth is economic.
2 From Turu Turu with Otoire Kenkyuuhan, Toire No Hon﹛( Satuki Shobou,1989), 160
香‘Bibliography
Ono Morio, Kojima Raiichi, Ajia Kawayakou﹛(Keiso Shobou,1994)
Planning OM, Toireha Warau ﹛(TOTO Shuppan,1990)
Roget=Henry Gerund, The cultural history of the rest room﹛(Chikuma Shobou,1987)
Sakaemori﹛Koujirou,﹛Mizu To Kurashi No Bunkashi (TOTO Shuppan,1994)
Tsuru Tsuru with Otoire Kenkyuuhan, Toire No Hon﹛( Satuki Shobou,1989)