You are headed to the bookstore because there are some books you want to buy, or you want to look at some books in a genre that interests you even if you don’t intend to buy them. That is a reason that many people like to go to bookstores. However, once they open the books of their choice and they intend to sit down to relax and read, they are unable to stay seated and they need to use the washroom right away. That is because once they begin looking through the books, they have the need to poop. That is not anyone’s definition of relaxing when they go to a bookstore even if those who live in chaotic households with small kids find that going to the washroom is like going on vacation.
What Is The Connection Between Books And Having To Poop?
There is no definitive cause for the reason that people need to defecate when going to bookstores. However, one theory is that the smell of ink and paper is like a laxative for people which is why this happens. Perhaps it affects those who read magazines, books, or newspapers while they are on the toilet at home more than those who don’t. Another theory is that when you sit to read a book, you have a posture that is ideal for sitting on the toilet which can cause the bowels to gravitate downward. However, there are still more studies that need to be conducted. It also maybe when you are reading, you are collecting information and all of that information you collect makes you nervous which can stimulate the bowels. The term for the need to go to the bathroom when you go to bookstores is known as the Mariko Aoki Phenomenon.
Where Did The Term Mariko Aoki Phenomenon Come From And What Is The Connection?
A Japanese woman in 1985 by the name of Mariko Aoki wrote an essay about the need to poop when she visited bookstores. And the essay went into a magazine article. A Japanese social psychologist back in 2014 by the name of Shozo Shibuya has been trying to find the tie between having to go to the bathroom and going to the bookstore. However, no tie has been found and it remains a mystery as to why that happens. Only the beliefs stated above are speculations as to why people go to the bookstores and have to poop right after. However, there are also plenty of people who do not believe that there is any truth to this phenomenon and think it is only an urban legend.
Those who don’t believe that there is truth to the Mariko Aoki Phenomenon are the ones who are not affected by having to go to the bathroom because of visiting a bookstore. However, if you happen to be one of those who needs to use the bathroom upon visiting a bookstore, then there are ways to lower your chances of pooping there so you can enjoy the book and the relaxation.
How You Can Skip The Need To Use The Bathroom While You Are At The Bookstore
The answers are quite simple. Firstly, why not try to use the bathroom before you go to the bookstore so your chances of needing to go then are much lower. Secondly, you can eat a constipating snack such as a bowl of white rice. That will help reduce your odds of needing to poop at the bookstore. Those solutions are your best bet when it comes to skipping the bathroom. However, if it does not work, then you have to accept that you simply experience this phenomenon.
