Specifically, I have a question about feminine hygiene in Japan.
Perhaps a strange topic for my first point, but since I haven't been to Japan before, and will be going this year at some point (and staying at a Japanese person's house-- a friend of a friend of the family), this is a question that is worrying me to no end (especially since I've gone some places without asking first, and found things to be quite different from the American system I'm used to). I put a great deal of pride into the impression I leave on people, and handling issues of personal hygiene properly according to custom and culture is something of incredible importance after all.
Okay, so to the questions, and I've got a few.
1) What sort of products are readily available? Should I take anything with me? In a similar vein, are tampons and pads sold in dispensers in public restrooms/store restrooms/school and university restrooms?
2) What is the appropriate method for disposal in Japan? I know in American public restrooms there are waste baskets specifically for feminine hygiene products-- can I expect to find these in Japan too? What about at the house I'll be staying at-- is it acceptable if used items get flushed if they're flushable and wrapped in toilet paper and disposed of neatly in a wastebasket if they're not, like I do here? Or is there some other system? (I ask, again, because I have been places where there is in fact, a different system).
3) I know Japanese usually take baths at night, but I like to style my hair in the morning, and if I sleep on it overnight, my styling usually gets flat on one side-- would it be a huge faux pas if I were to just shower in the morning? Or maybe bathe at night and shower quickly in the mornings (about 5 mins) just to wash my hair so that I can style it nicely?
4) I've heard that there aren't usually hand dryers or paper towels in public bathrooms and that one should take a handkerchief everywhere with them--- is this true in your experience?
5) Is there any other advice you might have for me?
Thanks in advance-- someone, please respond because I absolutely will go insane if this doesn't get cleared up for me...
IronL
Perhaps a strange topic for my first point, but since I haven't been to Japan before, and will be going this year at some point (and staying at a Japanese person's house-- a friend of a friend of the family), this is a question that is worrying me to no end (especially since I've gone some places without asking first, and found things to be quite different from the American system I'm used to). I put a great deal of pride into the impression I leave on people, and handling issues of personal hygiene properly according to custom and culture is something of incredible importance after all.
Okay, so to the questions, and I've got a few.
1) What sort of products are readily available? Should I take anything with me? In a similar vein, are tampons and pads sold in dispensers in public restrooms/store restrooms/school and university restrooms?
2) What is the appropriate method for disposal in Japan? I know in American public restrooms there are waste baskets specifically for feminine hygiene products-- can I expect to find these in Japan too? What about at the house I'll be staying at-- is it acceptable if used items get flushed if they're flushable and wrapped in toilet paper and disposed of neatly in a wastebasket if they're not, like I do here? Or is there some other system? (I ask, again, because I have been places where there is in fact, a different system).
3) I know Japanese usually take baths at night, but I like to style my hair in the morning, and if I sleep on it overnight, my styling usually gets flat on one side-- would it be a huge faux pas if I were to just shower in the morning? Or maybe bathe at night and shower quickly in the mornings (about 5 mins) just to wash my hair so that I can style it nicely?
4) I've heard that there aren't usually hand dryers or paper towels in public bathrooms and that one should take a handkerchief everywhere with them--- is this true in your experience?
5) Is there any other advice you might have for me?
Thanks in advance-- someone, please respond because I absolutely will go insane if this doesn't get cleared up for me...
IronL