Tale of Every Public Toilet

If I were asked to name one thing that stood out from my trip to Japan, it would undoubtedly be its pristinely clean public toilets. Whether in trains, small stations, shopping malls, or remote platforms, clean and well-maintained toilets are available everywhere, and they’re free to use. It was a delight to see that there were no wet floors, no broken locks, and the taps always had running water. I was even struck by how some public toilets in Japan were cleaner than those in people’s homes. The same can be said for other countries like Europe, the USA, Singapore, and Turkey. However, in Japan, one exception Kawaguchiko, a heavily tourist-dependent town in Japan, had filthy toilets littered with tissues. Tourists throng this town to sight Mt Fuji. In response, the government built a barrier around Mt. Fuji to restrict the influx of tourists to the city. This led to fewer visitors, and consequently, the toilets became cleaner. 

While the issue was tackled effectively, it raises the larger question: why are some countries able to keep public spaces clean, while others like India struggle? In India, the story is different. Public toilets are often filthy, a problem exacerbated by people's disregard for cleanliness. There’s a disheartening trend of people flushing items like socks, napkins, and hand towels, which only worsens the problem. It’s easy to blame the country's high population density, but the issue is more deeply rooted in apathy and a lack of hygiene awareness.

Cultural norms in countries like Japan and the USA foster a deep respect for public property. People clean up after themselves and maintain order in public spaces, including restrooms. In fact, children are often taught to clean their classrooms and toilets at school. This cultural emphasis on cleanliness and hygiene is ingrained from a young age, leading to a collective responsibility for maintaining public spaces. In contrast, India lacks this strong civic sense. Many people avoid public toilets altogether, particularly women who prefer to hold their bladder rather than face the unhygienic conditions. I, too, would choose hunger and thirst over using a train toilet.

The challenge in India isn’t solely about the lack of infrastructure or the country’s history with open defecation. People’s general apathy toward public property, combined with poor sanitation habits and insufficient hygiene education, contribute significantly to the problem. If both parents and schools can encourage a shift in values toward cleanliness, respect for public property and hygiene, habit of cleaning up after themselves - we might just begin to see the same level of respect for public spaces that countries like Japan and others enjoy.