Translation guide
Human excrement used as fertilizer, historically common in parts of East Asia. In modern contexts, the term is largely historical or technical.
The traditional practice of collecting and using human feces to fertilize fields.
During the Edo period, night soil was a valuable fertilizer.
A more technical term meaning 'human feces fertilizer'. Used in agricultural or historical contexts.
The use of human waste fertilizer caused sanitation problems.
A general term for manure or fertilizer, often implying night soil in historical contexts. Can be used alone or in compounds.
Farmers collected night soil and spread it on the fields.
The act of collecting night soil from privies. Often refers to the occupation or practice.
Night soil collection was done early in the morning.
Referring to human excrement in discussions of sewage, composting toilets, or waste management.
The standard technical term for human waste (feces and urine). Used in sanitation engineering and public health.
The development of human waste treatment facilities is urgent.
Alternative writing of 屎尿, often used in official documents. The character 屎 is sometimes avoided due to its rarity.
A vault toilet or pit latrine where waste is periodically collected. Still found in some rural areas.
The English phrase 'night soil' is not directly translatable into modern Japanese. Use context-appropriate terms like 下肥 for historical fertilizer or 屎尿 for sanitation. The literal translation '夜の土' is meaningless.
下肥 and 肥え are historical terms tied to pre-modern agriculture. For contemporary waste management, use 屎尿 or し尿.
し尿の海洋投棄は禁止されている。
Ocean dumping of human waste is prohibited.
My grandparents' house still has a vault toilet.