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Sato Mitsuharu (Satomitsu) of the comedy duo Dokidoki Camp released a children’s book “Amazing Toilet Story: Continuing to Brush More than 10,000 Toilets” (Gakken) on July 25th. Prior to the release, on the 17th, he gave a special lesson to the fourth graders at Nishida Elementary School in Suginami Ward, Tokyo.
In addition to being a comedian, Sato also works as a scriptwriter for television and radio programs. He has loved toilets since he was in elementary school, and is also a “Toilet Doctor” who has appeared on radio, written books and given lectures, saying, “I want everyone to know the importance of the toilets that we use every day. And I want people to think of toilets, which tend to be viewed negatively, as positive places.”
When Sato appeared at the gymnasium where the lecture was being held, the children in attendance welcomed him with cheers and high-fives. After introducing himself, Sato greeted the audience with a loud voice, “I love toilets!” He explained to the students why he likes toilets, specifically saying, “Because they’re a place where I can relax alone,” “Because there are many different types and functions,” and “Because they’re an important item that we use every day,” and conveyed to them how wonderful and important toilets are.
Sato said that ever since he was an elementary school student, when he was not good at studying or sports and lacked confidence, “the toilet is a place where I can be myself, the only place where I can be completely alone and change my mood. ” He also explained the interesting aspects of toilets, including the types and functions of toilets, the inside story of the development of toilets where you wash your bottom, and unique toilets in Japan, with quizzes thrown in, and the students answered the quizzes enthusiastically.
In response to the question, “So what happens after you flush the toilet?” the children responded with “Sewage!”, “Water purification plant!” and “Water reclamation center!” Sato was interested and asked, “Did you do your homework?” The fourth graders were studying sewage at the time, so it was an opportunity to review and learn more about what they had learned in class.
The students were also surprised to hear that “5% of the world’s population, or about 400 million people, are in trouble because they don’t have toilets.” When asked, “So, what do you think would happen in a world without toilets? Do you know about the SDGs?”, the students were introduced as “We have an SDGs doctor (among the students)!” and they knew that the toilet issue was also addressed in the SDGs, which made Sato smile and say, “You’re all so smart!”
After the lecture, the children shared their impressions, such as “I never thought there would be people who like toilets,” “I only knew about the toilets at home, but I learned there are many different kinds of toilets,” “I was surprised to learn that there are 400 million people who cannot use the toilet,” and “I heard that foreigners say Japanese toilets are amazing, and I wondered why, but now I understand the reason.” The children seemed satisfied to have learned things that they could not have learned from textbooks alone.
Finally, Sato presented the students of Nishida Elementary School with copies of his book and commented, “I was surprised at how quickly they reacted to my talk, and how they even used specific words like ‘water reclamation center.’ I would be happy if this inspires them to think of toilets as positive places even when they become adults.”
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Source: Japanese