No shame in talking about enemas!

I love that in Japan there is no shame in talking about bodily functions. Things that are considered rude, crude and vulgar, even taboo, in my home country and many countries around the world are openly talked about in Japan. I personally prefer the Japanese approach; bodily functions are natural after all!

A case in point; today is Ichijiku Enema Day イチジク浣腸の日 (Ichijiku kanchou no hi) in Japan. The anniversary was established by Ichijiku Pharmaceutical company, a 101-year-old company that specializes in enema products, since their foundation. The date comes from the wordplay “1 (ichi) – 19 (jiku)”, matching the company’s name. The anniversary was created both to celebrate the brand’s 90th year in 2015 and to raise awareness of Ichijiku Enema, Japan’s top-selling enema product. 

There was a further incentive to creating the anniversary on this date: late December through January is a period when, due to holiday eating, reduced water intake, and less physical activity, many people struggle with constipation. "Ichijiku Enema Day" is a reminder that there are enema products available to help with constipation and no shame in buying them are opening up about enema!