Aug. 3 - Perhaps the strangest sight I saw in Shirakawa village was its "gassho zukuri" (straw-roof) public toilet. I was so curious that I asked Ann to hold my bag and ventured inside. I was not sure exactly what to expect. Although the outside of the building seemed to be constructed with Edo period technology, the toilets inside were quite modern.

I was glad I did not really need to use this toilet because I was confused by the large array of choices on the toilet's electronic panel. I could figure out the large and small flush buttons, but there were so many other buttons and knobs - to regulate the temperature of the seat, to make a noise that masks other sounds, to direct the bidet and blow-drying functions, and other uses that I could only imagine.

I would need to study a detailed instruction manual before using this high-tech toilet. Despite the straw roof overhead, this toilet resembled the cockpit of a modern jet. I beat a hasty retreat.

Later that day at Takayama train station, I again ventured into a public toilet. Here I was happy to see a very familiar-looking sink for hand washing. It had only one knob that you could push to make cold water flow. There were no other options - just on and off. How easy!

Then on the wall I saw a detailed instruction sheet in Japanese explaining in six steps how to use this "low-tech" sink. I realized that many Japanese users, familiar with a much more modern and complex world of high-tech toilets, did not feel the same degree of comfort as I did with the simplicity of pushing a single knob to run water into the sink.

Until next time,

Jim