help!! japanese wash basins??

[winnie]

my very first message here :) ...need some help in finding out about washbasins in japanese homes...i've read that most japanese homes have wash basins in rooms next to the toilets and baths....really interesting but i cant seem to find out why the layout is such and how it started....:eek: maybe someone can enlighten me? hmm..there was also a msg in one of the past threads about how the older homes do not have washbasins in the bath...i wonder y?

[shao]

what is washbasin?

[NANGI]

Konnichiwa Winnie-san!
Is washbasin a washstand?:p
Usually washstand is arranged at next room of toilet or bath room.


NANGI

[jeisan]

yuh like a sink, its where you wash your hands, and possibly your face or perhaps clothes...

[winnie]

yup...i guess u could call it a wash stand as well....but any idea why it's in a separate area and not like the usual toilets where everything is found in just one room?

[mdchachi]

But what do you mean by "usual"? From whose standpoint?

From a Japanese standpoint it makes perfect sense because the bathroom is where the bath is. It's usually a combined shower/bathtub room where the entire room can get wet. So obviously you wouldn't want the sink in there. Toilets have traditionally been pretty dirty places so you probably wouldn't want to wash your face and brush your teeth next to a toilet (albeit less of a concern these days). Therefore the sink would naturally reside nearby somewhere outside of those two rooms. This means that all three facilities can be used at the same time -- pretty efficient actually.