67% of Japanese men stand while urinating: survey

33% of Japanese men sit while urinating: survey

Friday 25 September 2009, 05:51 AM JST

KITAKYUSHU — About one in three Japanese men tend to sit on the toilet seat when urinating at home, according to results of a survey by toilet maker Toto Ltd. The Internet survey conducted in May, covering 500 men in their 20s to 60s whose homes have Western-style toilets, found that 33.4% said they prefer to sit, citing ‘‘ease of posture’’ and ‘‘to make cleaning easier’’ as the main reasons.

The figure was 9.7% higher than in Toto’s last survey in 2004. Takuji Yano of Toto’s public relations department said, ‘‘It seems that people are tending to be more conscious about the bathrooms in their home, such as equipping washlet attachments to the toilet and trying to keep them cleaner.’’

© 2009 Kyodo News. All rights reserved.

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  benhur at 01:27 PM JST - 25th September

  i hear they also use the bidet and dryer..

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  biglittleman at 01:36 PM JST - 25th September

  Which came first? The interest in sitting down while they urinated or the man bags(purses).

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  dolphingirl at 01:51 PM JST - 25th September

  This is hilarious! Thanks for all the humourous posts! Well, I don't care if a guy sits or stands as long his aim is good! And I wish I could be a man for a day so I would have the option. LOL!!

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  M51T at 01:52 PM JST - 25th September

  It is well known that standing up develops eye/hand co-ordination and if war breaks out, I'll be in the 66% that survive.

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  presto345 at 02:05 PM JST - 25th September

  At the time man was created there were no ceramic or concrete, if you like, facilities for disposal of human waste. Man, meaning humans too, could relieve themselves in the ample space in nature, even benefiting the earth. Initial plans from the gods did not include the scenario for human populations to explode and crowding together in narrow spaces. Certainly not in asphalt-concrete creations we call cities nowadays. Men, as well as women, prefer to squat when fulfilling certain natural urgencies. Men, of course, have the advantage of standing up while relieving themselves, but he has the choice to squat if that suits him and it is totally irrelevant what his peers think of that. The average 'pot' in Japanese homes nowadays is designed to sit on, not to stand in front, aim and hope it will land in the right place, so the 33% are making the right choice to sit, get 'it' in the right place and save himself or his family from constantly cleaning the surroundings.

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  Wakarimasen at 02:13 PM JST - 25th September

  Sometimes sit, sometimes stand. Depends. So what? Doesn't make me a girl.

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  IvanCoughalot at 02:22 PM JST - 25th September

  My Mrs. tried to tell me that this was the correct way for married men to have a wee shortly after the ring went on her finger. She got very short shrift. Everey now and then I have a crafty splash on the floor to remind her who's boss.

  That said, when wearing light-coloured Chinos at work, I do sit for a number one in order to avoid the dot of shame that often occurs from the inadequacy of shakage when in a public place. You don't want to be seen to be giving it too much of a post-mictural jostle, lest the limp-wristed bloke at the next stone gets the wrong idea. But it's a fine line between a cavalier flourish of the bellend and walking about for the next 20 minutes with a circle of urine mid-thigh.

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  armadello at 02:32 PM JST - 25th September

  They must have learned this from growing up under the watchful eye and monthly tutorials of "shimajiro". That little male tiger is always "sitting" on the toilet taking a whizz... go figure.

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  dishdash at 02:38 PM JST - 25th September

  This is headline news?

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  moonbeams at 03:24 PM JST - 25th September

  sitting down sounds very reasonable. better than cleaning up the pee all over the sides & floor when you miss your target.

  It's against our nature.

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  scoobydoo at 03:46 PM JST - 25th September

  Earth shattering news brought to you by JT. Come on JT, surely there are far more important things in the world and Japan than this.

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  SiouxGirl at 04:14 PM JST - 25th September

  I actually am not sure whether my better half sits or stands 100% of the time or 30% or whatever because ... I don't care. He has his own bathroom, so I can have the fluffy seat cover. It's a must. It goes with the fluffy rug. I'm not even going to ask him if he sits or stands. He can get into a yoga position if he wants. The matching fluffies are more important to me, I have a variety of colors.

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  Monoflow at 04:28 PM JST - 25th September

  I sit at home and stand in public... Done since I was a child, it's comfortable, so what?...

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  presto345 at 04:31 PM JST - 25th September

  I actually am not sure whether my better half sits or stands 100% of the time or 30% or whatever because ... I don't care. He has his own bathroom, so I can have the fluffy seat cover. It's a must. It goes with the fluffy rug. I'm not even going to ask him if he sits or stands. He can get into a yoga position if he wants. The matching fluffies are more important to me, I have a variety of colors.

  Evidence of the perfect couple.

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  stirfry at 05:06 PM JST - 25th September

  you gotta be a real retard to miss the bowl with regularity...even the smallest ones i've seen are more than wide enough to corral even the most aggressive whizzing