Change the World From Your Bottom Upwards! Introducing “Japan Toilet Labo”

By JoelJul 3rd, 2009

Creative Commons. Some Rights Reserved. Photo by jurvetson

There is no shortage of societies in this world, but did you know there was one specializing in this sort of research?
The Japan Toilet Labo is an organization that was set up to propose and bring to fruition ideas for how toilets should be, in order for all people on earth to enjoy healthy lives, in peace of mind.
Launched in July 2008, the idea behind this organization “Japan Toilet Labo”, is to approach social issues from the toilet seat. As long as they are alive, people will need to go. And if you go 5 times in a day, that works out to 1,825 times a year! We spend our whole lives indebted to the can.
In fact, you could say that the toilet is an indicator of that person’s lifestyle environment. Toilet environments around the world are incredibly varied, and according to “Japan Toilet Labo”, some 2.6 billion people around the world don’t have access to a hygienic toilet. There seems to be no end to children losing their lives to diarrhea due to unhygienic lifestyles and poorly equipped toilet facilities. And even in Japan with its clean toilet environment there are many problems, such as issues relating to water saving and drainage, and provision of facilities for the elderly and disabled people.

“Japan Toilet Labo”

Against this backdrop, “Japan Toilet Labo” was established. Its predecessor, the Japan Toilet Association (founded in 1985) was involved in all sorts of activities including toilet symposiums and research associations, investigative research, also collaborating with government departments and regional public bodies to undertake environmental, educational and also overseas projects supporting developing countries. As well as carrying on this momentum, the Japan Toilet Labo has stated its desire to expand the business and its activities so as to bring about social reform and make an international contribution from the toilet seat.
One of their projects is an on-demand class,The “Shit Seminar”!

“Shit Seminar”

In 2007, together with their predecessor the Japan Toilet Association cooperate with oji nepia co.,ltd. that they began offering on-demand seminars at 5 elementary schools in the Tokyo Metropolitan area designed to learn about health and environment through a manure medium. Seminars are designed to be both fun and educational, and range from basic lectures outlining the importance of toilets and feculence, to activity-based classes including making “poopy pencils” and writing “dung diaries”.
Check out this link to get a better idea of what the “Shit Seminar”.In here you can see the candid reactions of children who have learned about the fecal fundament.

“Before, I’d sneak off to the toilet when no-one is looking, but now I’m really open about popping off for a dump”
“I realized that far from being a dirty thing, a brown boulder is super important for your body”

Comments like these came in thick and fast from delighted mothers. For their children, it appears that a fundamental shift regarding the concept of a crap had taken place, changing from something “dirty” and “smelly” to “an important thing”.
This seminar has also taken place in East Timor. In a situation where 400 children were sharing one toilet, learning about the toilet environment and importance of excreta seemed to be a big hit. Further details of this episode are available here
Be sure to check out the children’s bright and smiley faces!

Japan Toilet Labo also has opened a special website, disaster Toilet information network and Toilet support network in developing countries.
disaster Toilet information network is a website set detailing how regional self-governing and other bodies are putting out information in “normal times” on implementing measures regarding toilets in the event of a disaster, including information about earthquake-resistant toilets and examples of toilet initiatives that have worked in the past .

Over at Toilet support network in developing countries, you can read about information accrued throughout past activities related to toilets in developing countries, including examples of aid that has been given. A very precious source of information for organizations delivering aid.
And not forgetting their most impish initiative,

campaign web site

While this campaign seems at first to be stating the obvious, for example not wasting toilet paper and water and leaving the toilet clean for the next person, it has pegged a unique development:
Putting up this witty poem dedicated to making toilet paper last, in these cubicles public facilities and stores in the whole of country

one of the witty poem

All God’s children wipe their bums
The Finance Minister wipes his bum
High School Girls wipe their bums
Wives and Mothers-in-Laws wipe their bums
Train Guards wipe their bums
Cabin Attendants wipe their bums
You wipe your bum
The next guy wipes his bum
Toilet paper is the shared treasure of
all humanity

Incidentally, all of these 9-verse poems can be used as wallpaper, so go ahead download by all means. At a glance, some of them are not obviously toilet poems so how about using this wallpaper with an added awareness-reforming dimension? You can also download some cool blogparts here
The activities of “Japan Toilet Labo” are designed to remind of us of the important role of going to the toilet, something we take for granted.
The world, the environment, your own body. So much knowledge waiting right there in the toilet.
Next time you find yourself in the toilet, I want you to cast your mind back to this article. You never know, you may end up changing the world from the bottom upwards.

This article has been translated from the original Japanese post　