60% Of Japanese Men Prefer To Sit While Urinating: Poll

Over half of Japanese men prefer sitting on the toilet while urinating, a survey has revealed.

Around 60.9% of men in Japan prefer to sit instead of standing when using the toilet to urinate, Kyodo News reported, citing a June poll by Japanese toiletries manufacturer Lion Corp.

The survey, which collected answers from 1,500 men between the ages of 20 and 60, showed that 49% of those who preferred sitting had switched from standing, while 11.9% of the total claimed they were "native sitters," according to the report.

Around 2.7% of these "native sitters" were men in their 60s, while 25.7% were young adults in their 20s.

The survey covered only postures for urinating at sit-down toilets and did not consider situations where urinals are also available.

The most common reason for the change among those who switched from standing to sitting was the mess they made, with 37.3% claiming they had personally experienced the ill effects of urine splash backs.

Lion conducted an experiment using ultraviolet light that allegedly revealed that splash backs occurred on the inside rims of toilets and under seats even when a person would sit down to urinate.

Other reasons for people switching were consideration for others who clean the toilets (27.9%), because the respondents began cleaning the toilets themselves (19.3%), or because someone close to them had convinced them that their urine spray has become an issue (16.6%).

Tomoyuki Isowa, a 53-year-old business owner in the Japanese prefecture of Aichi, claimed he recently switched from standing to sitting while urinating after his son requested him to do so when he visited the latter's home.

"I was also being considerate of my wife, who [would] always do the cleaning," Isowa, of Nagakute, was quoted as saying.

"And I learned that sitting down while I relieve myself allows me to relax more than standing," he added.

Increased awareness of good hygiene practices among parents influences boys from an early age in a way that makes them more inclined to sit down when they pee as they grow into adulthood, according to marketing analyst Yohei Harada.

"The younger generation has a good relationship with their parents, so they tend to listen if they are told to keep a clean toilet," Harada said.

Additionally, Harada believes young men today appreciate being able to use their smartphones while peeing.

"It's probably true that for young people who don't want to spend a moment away from their smartphones, sitting down on a toilet seat and being able to handle their phones easily is a bonus," he added.