Residents of at least one American military installation in Japan may have to purchase Japanese toilet paper to keep their plumbing working properly, according to the housing maintenance office.
American multi-ply toilet paper brands are to blame for frequently clogged pipes on Yokota Air Base, Amy Moses, operator of the tower maintenance department on Yokota, told Stars and Stripes in a phone call Monday. Yokota, in western Tokyo, is the headquarters for U.S. Forces Japan, 5th Air Force and the 374th Airlift Wing.
“We aren’t trying to take business away from the exchange or commissary,” she said. “But it saves a lot of work and frustration for everyone in the long run if you don’t use that toilet paper.”
Over time, thick toilet paper brands can back up in the septic system and lead to flooding and clogged drains that affect the bathtub and sink, Moses said. She said Japanese brands are designed to dissolve faster than American brands.
Residents should also avoid using flushable wipes and putting toilet cleaning tabs in the tank, she said.
Moses said anyone unwilling to surrender their favorite brands of creature comfort should be stingy with the amount of tissue they employ and flush the toilet twice after using it. That will use more water, which is a good reason to reconsider your choice in toilet paper, she said.
Moses said she gets as many as eight calls per day about clogged plumbing, often repeat calls from the same…
