Anal Cleansing

When this question is asked, “Is that true that Indonesia use their hand to clean after defecation?”, the answer will be yes. At least, most of Indonesia will say that. Then, the next question is, “Is that true that Indonesian often use their barehand to eat?”. Well… well… well… the answer will be the same.

modern toilet (source)

For those who always use a modern toilet and use a toilet paper to clean, this old method seems unhygienic. But for us, this is a common thing and moreover, I myself think that cleansing with hand (left hand for particular) is more hygienic than a toilet paper.

squat toilet (source)

In 2007, I went to Japan to visiting my brother. Modern toilet is not a problem for me since my family has used it since I was in junior high school (about 12 years ago). I remember how difficult it was to change the habit from squatting to sitting in the toilet. I’m not surprised to see there’s a lot of announcement about how to use the toilet in the back of every public toilet’s door. Adapting needs process.

How to use the toilet (source)

What’s shocking from my previous journey to Japan was about the dumping of the tissue paper. “Just throw the tissue on the toilet,” I remember my brother told me, and I was like “What? Are you serious? It will block the sewer, right?”


“No, it won’t. Japan has designed their toilet so that it can destroy the tissue, even a wet tissue,” my brother explaining. Wow! That’s awesome!

Too bad Indonesia still doesn’t have this system. But, I think right now we need to focus on how to teach people how to use the modern toilet and the paper cleansing. After that, maybe the next few years, we can have that toilet system technology.

[LI]