Translation guide
An outhouse is a small outdoor toilet, typically a simple structure over a pit. In Japanese, the most common equivalent is ぼっとん便所, but other terms exist depending on context.
Refer to a simple outdoor toilet, often a wooden structure over a hole in the ground.
The most common and direct term for a traditional pit toilet, often found in rural areas or older buildings.
田舎の家にはまだぼっとん便所がある。
The house in the countryside still has an outhouse.
A more general term for any outdoor toilet, not necessarily a pit toilet. Can be used for modern portable toilets as well.
キャンプ場には屋外トイレしかない。
The campsite only has an outhouse.
The English word 'outhouse' can also mean a separate building from the main house (e.g., a shed or workshop). In Japanese, that is 離れ (はなれ) or 納屋 (なや), not a toilet. Make sure the context is clear.
A technical term for a vault toilet where waste is collected and removed. More formal and less common in everyday speech.
この地域ではまだ汲み取り式便所が使われている。
In this area, outhouses are still used.