Japanese Toilet Training Videos

July 11, 2006 11:04 PM

A fascinating series of Japanese toilet training videos for the very young (duh). Of note, the anthropomorphizing of the toilet, the weird bits of Engrish thrown in, and the remarkably frank approach to the whole messy business.
posted by jonson (19 comments total)

my first day in Japan I was watching TV and was floored by a kid's cartoon of an ultraman-esque character farting all over the place.

kacharu-shokku!
posted by Heywood Mogroot at 11:13 PM on July 11, 2006

oh those wacky japanese. /obligatory
posted by dydecker at 11:18 PM on July 11, 2006

Thanks, jonson, I needed my daily dose of bizarre. It's awesome that bathroom training is sufficient fodder not just for one clip but for a whole series. Poop animations and songs are apparently big in Japan. And not just Japan. In Sweden, you can dress your kids in kiss & bajs couture, or buy them poop and pee plushies.
posted by madamjujujive at 11:28 PM on July 11, 2006

Everyone Poops
posted by dinsdale at 11:39 PM on July 11, 2006

I suppose this is the thread for this.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 11:46 PM on July 11, 2006

Oh man, the anthropomorphized turd is a bit much... And the live action scene at the end is way much.
posted by delmoi at 11:55 PM on July 11, 2006

byebye!
posted by lenny70 at 12:28 AM on July 12, 2006

These are really interesting.
...oh, and speaking of a remarkably frank approach to the whole messy business (You Tube, 10 minutes long)
posted by bunglin jones at 3:24 AM on July 12, 2006

Mr. Hanky!
posted by DenOfSizer at 4:07 AM on July 12, 2006

oh man, that made me laugh out loud.
posted by tgrundke at 5:11 AM on July 12, 2006

"Karuchaa shokku," that is. Culture shock.

I don't know what the situation is like outside of Japan, but the age for kids to outgrow their diapers is getting later and later here. Most of the kids my son's age wore diapers until they turned three (maybe because the disposable diapers have become so dry and comfortable?), so it's a big deal for moms to teach their kids how to use the toilet. Also, if the family lives with or close to an older generation (like with grandparents), the mom is often hounded by say her own mother or her mother-in-law, or maybe even just random older strangers, who remember toilet-training *their* kids at a much earlier age, to get those diapers off. Personally, I started toilet training my own son when he was a year and a half because my grandmother (my son's great-grandmother) who lives nearby would always be on my case about it. But he took his own sweet time about it and we didn't really "succeed" until right before he turned three, so all I can say is, these videos don't really work but they were probably produced because lots of moms here are concerned about their kids.
posted by misozaki at 5:57 AM on July 12, 2006

The floor toilets SUCK, and that video did not explain at all how to not pee on your pants. I was very dissapointed.
posted by ackeber at 8:22 AM on July 12, 2006

Looking up YouTube videos about the Zidane head butt incident at the World Cup, a person who posted that link also posted an animation vid about Japanese kids going to the toilet. I couldn't help thinking somebody was going to make a MeFi FPP out of it, somehow. I love the way you -ahem- fleshed the topic out jonson.

I was amused on that link you posted how it goes from Video 1 and the next number is 3, twice. Laughed at little Koin's squeaky fart noise, surprised face and poop plopping noise. Also in Video 6, the kid is very formal in paying his respects to the bathroom. There were a couple of good misspellings too: "consptipation, diaherria".

Interested to see a basket by the toilet for the underpants. Does anybody know more about that?

Can't help admiring the Japanese for treating such a delicate subject so nicely and still make it gently funny.

ackeber , Disagree with you there, floor toilets rock.
posted by nickyskye at 9:03 AM on July 12, 2006

nickyskye, I assume you've seen this?
posted by jonson at 9:10 AM on July 12, 2006

p.s. And another thing, the animated kids really strained a lot. Can't help thinking hemorrhoids would be a national problem? But maybe the cartoon straining was just to indicate poop was coming out? Oh gee, what am I doing thinking about this stuff?

omg, jonson, just saw your Zidane give 'em hell Materazzi animation. No, I hadn't seen it before. Great! Thanks! Vive Zidane!
posted by nickyskye at 9:19 AM on July 12, 2006

MetaFilter: a fascinating series of Japanese toilet training videos.
posted by Foosnark at 9:49 AM on July 12, 2006

This had me laughing so hard I woke my 3 year old up. He's now fascinated by Japanese kids pooping. Add this to his obsession with David Hasselhoff and I have metafilter to thank for my son's future therapy bills.
posted by hollygoheavy at 11:49 AM on July 12, 2006

nickyskye, how do you not pee on your pants??
posted by ackeber at 1:03 PM on July 12, 2006

ackeber, Ah, technical details can be crucial, lol. The correct position for a squat toilet. The squat toilet comes in a number of styles. Positioning oneself so one squats fully, pants go halfway to one's knees.



Stand over the toilet stool facing the side with the hood. Then squat over it and conveniently place yourself close but not to the point of contact with the stool. For beginners, this might be an awkward position, but as the body does not contact the stool it is sanitary.
posted by nickyskye at 7:33 PM on July 12, 2006