Toilet meal

Toilet meal (Japanese: 便所飯, benjo-meshi) is a Japanese slang term and social phenomenon referring to the act of an individual eating a meal in a toilet room.^[1] In modern Japan, some people eat alone in a bathroom for various reasons,^[2] the most common being that they do not wish to be seen eating alone. Other reasons include saving money from eating out,^[3] to hide from co-workers in a busy workplace,^[4] or simply because they find it more comfortable.^[3]

Since toilet meals are often solitary and clandestine, others are unlikely to be aware of its occurrence. For this reason, "toilet meals" were initially regarded as an urban legend,^[5] but subsequent investigations have confirmed the phenomenon as relatively widespread. The term "toilet meal" has even been referenced in various popular media, most notably in various Japanese television shows.^[6][7]