Why do the bathrooms in Japan have the light switch outside the door?

I suppose it's for safety; they're a little squirrely about mixing water & electricity. This probably comes from the fact that they bathe outside the bathtub & they're used to splashing water everywhere. So they start doing it for all rooms with water, even if there's no tub.

A little squirrely about mixing water and electricity? Explain the heated toilet seats then......

haha, good point. But that's about the squirreliest thing they do in Japan... warm water shooting at your butt.

It's probably electric codes. England was the same way- you couldn't even have an electric outlet in a bathroom except for a shaver one. But yeah, don't know why a light is a no-no but the Captain Kirk toilet seat is OK /shrug

A couple of years ago I asked a Japanese co-worker this and their answer was "Where else would they be?"

It's so little brothers can shut off the light when their big sisters are hogging the bathroom putting on makeup. XD jk

My light switch in the US was outside the WC too... I agree with "gaijins" friend...where else would it be. Don't you turn on the light and then enter?

Most typically in the US they are inside the bathroom.

and so dads and sisters can turn them off, too. You have to learn to also turn on the over-the-sink light so you won't be in total darkness. It's good practice for situational awareness!

Amber.....love your answer!   LOL!

Our light switch is outside out bathroom doors, well I should say WERE we moved out yesterday... Hubby thought he was hilarious turning the light off on me while I was in the shower more than once.

ours is outside the bathroom, but what i'm curious about is what the electirc outlet is for. the WC is big enough for us to enter, take a step, turn around, and sit down (if you're a woman). The sink is also on top of the toilet, which I kinda think as kinda nifty and great way to save on water.  But yet there is an outlet there. Though my husband and I use it now to keep an eye on our baby through the monitor. We can hear him cry no matter where on the first floor we are at, except the shower room.

The outlet near the toilet is for a heated toilet seat.

oh... lol well it's the monitor outlet for now lol XD

Posted By Dori on 19 May 2010 09:23 PM
oh... lol well it's the monitor outlet for now lol XD

LCD or CRT?

(edit:  ah, I see it now.  A baby monitor.... my first thought, being a computer geek, was, "wow and I thought I was plugged in all the time.")

Outlet is used for washlet, too.