Japan Unifies Bidet Toilet Buttons for Olympics – Master These 8 Buttons to Avoid Confusion

▲ Currently, bidet toilet button designs vary by brand, and surveys show that 25% of users don’t know how to use them. (Illustration / from Wikipedia)

By Rita

Why is something as simple as flushing a toilet in Japan often complicated by over 10 mysterious buttons? Many people visit Japan several times a year, yet still don’t know how to use bidet toilets. Finally, Japan has heard the public’s concerns. The Bathroom Industry Association has designed a set of standardized icons to simply explain what these symbols actually do for travelers.

▲ Japan’s unified bidet toilet button icons. (Photo / Japan Restroom Industry Association)

According to Lonely Planet, a 2014 survey showed that 25% of travelers said they didn’t know how to use bidet toilets in Japan. With the arrival of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the association aimed to resolve international visitors’ confusion by clearly explaining the eight buttons on bidet toilets — including full flush, small flush, toilet lid open/close, toilet seat open/close, stop, rear wash, bidet wash, and drying.

Nine companies under the association stated that they will adopt these eight unified icons starting in April.