The Himeji Poop Exhibit
Editor's note: This was originally posted on the author's fascinating blog. Visit it!
Today's Word Of The Day is うんち (unchi). That's Japanese for "poop".
Last weekend, my wife and I went to the Confectionary Exposition in Himeji, and on the way back to the car we saw this sign:

Here is what the sign says:
Everybody come and play! Come and look! We have poop books!
Rabbit: It's shit time!
Gorilla: Come and see my shit too!
Elephant: Animal shit is here yo!
See it. Touch it! Smell it! Explore!
Can you guess what animals made this shit? (3 pictures)
Himeji Museum Of Literature, Special Exhibit. April 1st-May 18th
Naturally, we couldn't resist.
We paid our way into the little exhibit. On the walls around the room were little pictures of animals doing the deed:


Then you get to see the real stuff up close, displayed in cute little boxes as if they were Easter treats. You are free to look, handle, and sniff to your heart's content. Can you guess which animals each shit belongs to? (Answers below):





Answers: zebra, addax, hippo, giraffe, elephant.
Excretory Literature
But that's not even the main attraction! This is the Himeji Museum of Literature. What would this exhibit be without books about poop?

Book Made Out Of Shit
The paper of this book was made from elephant dung.

Unchi Restaurant
This book, titled Unchi Restaurant, is about a bug that eats dung. (Warning: plot spoilers ahead):


"Eww. What's that smell?"

"It's shit!"

"Munch, munch."
Excretory System

"When you eat breakfast your belly starts to move, and your poop starts to move too."
Poop1: "I'm getting pushed out!"
Poop2: "Here I come!"
Shit Professor

"I am the Shit Professor. I know everything there is to know about shit!"
Nasty Fish

Fish: "Delicious!"
"Eh? Shit is delicious?"
"Yes. Shit is delicious food."
The hippo takes a dump and then these little fish eat it, chasing after the hippo's butt.
End Of The Japanese Poop Exhibit
Finally, after enjoying the literature, you can take a picture at this special cut-out to take home a souvenir:

Editor's note: Again, this is from the author's blog. Take a look!
25 Comments on "The Himeji Poop Exhibit"
What the hell was that giraffe eating - its turds look like some kind of blue semi-precious stones.
Japs are just plain weird.
The voice of sanity
wow. the japanese have a lot of poop story books. I want to read them. I'm illiterate in japanese so are any of these books written in english?
...And their flesh like dung. Zeph. 1:17
Prof. Thunderbutt would like to point out that "unchi" is the Japanese word for poop that is used primarily by children or those who want to make it sound a little less repulsive. A more common word, used by adults, is
"unko". When talking to your doctor you would probably use the word "ben". The Japanese word for the squat toilet over a pit is
"benjo", not to be confused with "banjo" which is a stringed instrument.
_______
Eat chilies and feel the burn!!
How long a minute is depends on what side of the bathroom door you're on!
I visited Himeji Castle back in 1964 while on a 30 day driving trip around Japan. The shit exhibit was not around then or I certainly would have visited it also.
Thunderbox, the Japanese are different but not necessarily weird. Bodily functions are discussed more or less openly, as they should be. The Japanese have a high degree of tolerance for what we would call "low humor". Many of them would make excellent PoopReporters.
PS: I have been happily married to a Japanese woman for the last 45 years.
_______
Eat chilies and feel the burn!!
How long a minute is depends on what side of the bathroom door you're on!
Nothing surprises me about the Japanese. When I lived there, you could buy whiskey and used schoolgirl panties out of vending machines. Porno and massage parlors are everywhere and young girls would hand out their business cards on the street, advertising their various "services".
Lol I like how they are in the heart shaped containers sitting in easter grass! The books are funny. I envy you, I wish I could have been there. I should make a poo museum and make some money.
Wow! this is great shit, we need to think about how to encourage the Japanese to report poop experiences.
_______
Did I just fart?.... Oh shit! NO!!
Did I just fart?.... Oh shit! NO!!
Those little dooker's traveling thru the colon in the book illustration are great! POOPREPORT need's a poopreporter, translator in Japan.
I can't remeber the website...here perhaps?
I know the Japanese have some really fancy warm water spraying seat warming wipe-your-ass-for-you toilets.
Do they have a slihgt bodily finction obsession? I have seen really gross stuff with scat fetishes and almost always the people are asian.
From the producers of scat only in Asia folks!
_______
The Thunderous Crapper 63 Enjoying home toilet advantage since 2004!
AHHHHHEMMMMMMMMMM JUST CLEARING MY THROAT!! ;)
Chief, I worked for a Jap company for a while and also had a Jap girlfriend for almost a year (not at the same time as the job). Great people, but weird....very weird.
The voice of sanity
MSG, rabbits if they are round. Deer if they look like little footballs.
When I was a kid there were those ubiquitous "Schoolhouse Rock" programs. "Conjunction Function" and such. There was one that I saw but no one else seems to remember that was about shitting. My memories are vague but from what I do remember it was a little girl being educated about digestion. The catch phrase was after digestion she would disappear into a bathroom and say "so I got rid of it". "Getting rid" being the end product of undigested food. ie shit. Anyone else remember this or am I just crazy?
For anyone who needs a little translating, gaijin means foreigner, wa indicates that shit (unko) is the subject of the statement kusai means stinks and the ne means something to the effect of isn't that right?
I might point out to gaijin that "unchi" is quite a common expression, especially when speaking to children.
_______
Eat chilies and feel the burn!!
How long a minute is depends on what side of the bathroom door you're on!
Eeee! This is the cutest poopreport page ever! What a wonderful find. Incidentally, in Ft. Knox the glossy pillbug was our indigenous poop-eating beetle, and there were voracious Gator-turd munchers. Even though I got into the yard every day to pick up poop, I often missed a pile; and it never lasted a week without being reduced to a dry, crumbly mess from those little black bugs.
Poop beetles rock the shit.
_______
.....hugging bunnies since 1969
www.daphneszoo.com
.....hugging bunnies since 1969
www.daphneszoo.com
Wow, um, this is the perfect place for Japanese Poopreporters...
_______
I will never shit somewhere that only has that horrible, scratchy brand of toilet paper. That stuff sucks!
The Original Grasshopper
Facinating! I really should travel more.br>______________________________________
Kimmy!!! Get your thumb out of there! I'm about to blow!
______________________________________
Kimmy!!! Get your thumb out of there! I'm about to blow!
The worst poop memories I have of Japan is the dreaded "benjo truck". Back in the 1960s very few Japanese homes had a flush toilet. Basically they had an outhouse that was attached to the home so you could get there without having to go outside. There was very little odor since a quantity of lime was placed in the pit. This convenience was called a Benjo.
Periodically the benjo had to be pumped out. This is where the benjo truck came in.
Once the pumping process was started the
pit contents began releasing a rather stout aroma. If you saw a benjo truck in operation while you were driving you immediately tried to hyperventilate so you could hold your breath as you pulled abreast of the vehicle. Depending on which way the wind was wafting the stench
you might have to cease all breathing for one or two minutes.
_______
Eat chilies and feel the burn!!
How long a minute is depends on what side of the bathroom door you're on!
Dang, I've been twice to Himeji but haven't seen this museum! Too funny!
Unbelievable that there are some sickos in this world so obsessed with shit!!
PDB
PDB
Pillsbury Dirt Bag.....I believe I would classify those who do not recognize shiting as something natural that we all do as the sickos.
_______
Eat chilies and feel the burn!!
How long a minute is depends on what side of the bathroom door you're on!
I especially liked the professor shit and the photo opportunity at the end, great stuff!
_______
Earth, insane asylum for the universe.
Earth, insane asylum for the universe.
Unbelievable that there are some sickos in this world so obsessed with shit!!
Um, I don't think it's an obsession (hey, I know what obsession is :D) but it's a kewl exhibit.
_______
Peace, Love, Twilight.
The Original Grasshopper










