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Tweet of the Week #165: Customers Make Too Much Noise on the Toilet

Customers are tired of hearing others taking care of business on the toilet.

By 2 min read

When nature calls, we’d rather be home. Alas, when you got to go, you got to go. Thus, we end up in a public restroom. In Japan, women are allegedly so self-conscious that Japanese toilet maker Toto invented the Sound Princess (音姫おとひめ) to solve this delicate issue. However, the musical setup is often absent from male or mixed bathrooms, especially in stores.

Recently, an old sign posted on a Daily Yamazaki convenience restroom in Osaka surfaced on Twitter. The poster, illustrated with two apologetic bowing characters, kindly asks for the consideration of restroom users, encouraging them to hold back the “noise” when they go number-two.

The store manager received complaints from shoppers feeling uncomfortable. At the time (2017), the franchise’s headquarters advised the manager to take the sign down, feeling it was too much of a controversial take.

Although a few years old now, the resurfaced poster started a debate on bodily fluid noise and shame—can we really control the noise we make?

Please cooperate

https://twitter.com/max358japan2/status/1485193809890013187?s=20

無理むり

“No way”

On the sign:

ねが

最近さいきんトイレご利用りようかたの、大便だいべんさいのブリブリおとがウルサイと、ほかのお客様きゃくさまから苦情くじょうがきております。トイレからブリブリおとこえるたびに、ものちゅうのお客様きゃくさま不快ふかいおもいをされます。大便だいべんをされるほうは、ブリブリおと音量おんりょうちいさくしていただきますよう、ご協力きょうりょくねがいいたします。

“Please!

Recently, we have received complaints from other customers about the annoying bleep-bleep sound of people using the restroom when they make a bowel movement. Every time they hear this noise from the toilet, it makes our customers uncomfortable while shopping.

We would like to ask for your cooperation in turning down the volume of the [toilet sound] when you use the toilet.

Kanji Cheat Sheet: Japanese toilets

Check out GaijinPot Study to review all the Japanese you need to know when nature calls, like knowing the buttons on Japanese bidet toilets.

Vocabulary

Japanese Romaji English
無理むり muri Impossible, no way
ねが o negai Please
最近さいきん saikin Recently
利用りようかた go riyou no kata Users (of this service)
大便だいべんさい daiben no sai During a bowel movement
ブリブリ buri buri Bleep, plop
苦情くじょう kujyou Complaint, grievance
こえる kikoeru Can hear
たびに tabi ni whenever, each time, at the occasion
不快ふかいおも fukaina omoi Unpleasant thoughts, feelings

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