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Taiwanese men will be forced to urinate sitting down.
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
Steven Shen has called on the entire male population of Taiwan to urinate while sitting, just like the fairer sex.
Perhaps this call becomes more understandable if we mention the official's title: Steven Shen is Taiwan's Minister of the Environment.
Despite Shen's high position, men reacted to the call with irony, and some quite harshly.
According to the minister, all men should relieve themselves while sitting, as this will help ensure cleanliness in public restrooms, where traces of men standing up usually remain on the floor.
Shen called on the island's male population to stop using urinals not only in public toilets, but also in offices.
In addition, the minister shared his own experience and said that he personally adopted this method of urination and has long been no longer worried about toilet seats, which many men in public toilets prefer not to lift.
Of course, it is disconcerting that the overwhelming majority of men's toilets in the country (the number of outdoor public toilets in Taiwan alone exceeds 100,000) are equipped with urinals, but for some reason the minister did not explain how to solve the problem of their conversion.
However, Stephen Shen's position remains firm. As the Minister of Environmental Protection, he assures that once the male half of humanity tries the new method, the sanitary situation in the country will improve dramatically.
To bring to reason the slow-witted men who do not see the advantages of the new method, the official referred to the experience of the Japanese: "In Japan, about 30% of men prefer to sit down when urinating. And when sanitary inspectors visit our public restrooms, in the overwhelming majority of cases we see damaged toilet seats and yellow stains on the floor."
Shen has already taken the first step in implementing the new method: in the near future, all public toilets in the country will be covered with written appeals to men, urging them to urinate while sitting in order to keep the stall clean for the next visitor. According to the minister, the propaganda leaflets will help to convey to people the true benefits of sitting urination.
However, no matter how much the official would like to introduce new rules for men's toilet use, he cannot force them to sit on the toilet, which he openly admits. That is why he is counting on the common sense of his country's citizens, who are not indifferent to the environmental situation.