Toilet in Japan

There are 2 types of toilets in Japan - Japanese style toilets and Western-style ones.

(old type) Japanese style toilet

As for Japanese style toilets, it is squat type - like a slipper.
There are no seats to sit on. We squat over facing the bowl.

But this type toilets are decreasing.

Instead, western-style toilets are increasing. The western style ones were introduced to Japan around 1870 and they have rapidly gained popularity in 1960-1970. The reason is due to its economy of space, sine they make urinals unnecessary. It is also easier to use it which does not have to squat, which is a feature particularly welcomed by seniors.

Western style toilet

Indeed, we have seldom seen the traditional Japanese style toilet.

Some of western toilets are very high-tech with heated seats, bidets, and driers. Those toilets have a control panel on one side. It may be difficult to find the flush button on the control panel -
押 means press and 流す　means flush.
Some of them flush automatically as we leave. Sometimes we put our hand by the sensor to flush.

As one of features of Japanese toilets, some have a little device on the wall - by pressing the bottom, it makes a flushing sound. It is used to cover the noises we make.

Flushing sound 

The right botton 「流す」is for flusing