Here’s a question: why would a consumer culture reject a technology that makes one of our most basic human functions more comfortable and hygienic? After all, Americans are voracious in their appetite for novel products when it comes to everything from drinking water to cleaning the floor. But given the opportunity for a more hygienic and comfortable means of doing our bathroom business, all of a sudden we’re intent on sticking with bathroom technology from the 19th century. Why?
This is the very question that Japan’s largest toilet-maker is trying to answer. The company offers various models that do all kinds of lavish things to and for the user. While they’re ubiquitous in Japanese households–until recently, more common than PCs–”smart” potties have failed to catch on in the US market.
A typical Japanese loo, for instance, would do some or all of these things for the user:
* Cleanse “front and back” with three separate streams of water
* Dry “front and back” with air blowers
* Warm the seat
* Automatically put down the seat (a feature cleverly dubbed the “marriage saver”)
* Illuminate itself with a programmable nightlight
* Monitor medical conditions by preforming urine tests
* De-ionize the air to remove odors
* Play a soothing waterfall or birdsong soundtrack “to drown out embarrassing noises.”
Now, there is a legitimate temptation to chuckle at our friends the Japanese, because they can be pretty weird sometimes and Americans tend to see the whole fancy toilet thing as yet another cultural eccentricity along the lines of those bizarre cartoons and vending machines that sell everything from beer to underwear, etc. etc.
But that’s a mistake. Japanese toilets are objectively superior in every important respect: hygiene, comfort, and environmental impact. It’s simply a better “solution” to keeping our body’s dirtiest (ahem) parts clean–including our hands. There’s really isn’t much room for debate between a quick, simple hands free-method and on that involves chopping down lots of forests and counting on strangers to use soap.
Of course, it’s tempting to giggle at the idea of a device that drowns out farts with the sounds of birds chirping–but there’s no need to confuse that with the larger question.
There is an infrastructure angle here as well. If you aren’t trying to get rid of six linear feet of heavy-duty quilted, lotion-infused Charmin each time you hit the flush lever, toilets can be more sparing in their consumption of water. That savings adds up. Likewise, wastewater treatment plants are–one presumes–less taxed.
The good news is that, as the Economist is reporting, Japan’s largest toilet maker has a new chief executive, and he’s set himself the task of breaking into the American market. Part of the p.r. campaign involves getting state-of-the-art crappers installed in “prominent public locations,” so Americans will be able to take them for a discrete test drive and hopefully get hooked.
A media talking point designed to familiarize the devises is that some celebrities are already devotees. Charlie Sheen loves ‘em, for example. But that’s probably too much information.
MORE ON FANCY JAPANESE TOILETS: Priority Number Two: It’s Time To Get Serious About The ‘S’ Word
ALSO CHECK OUT ON INFRASTRUCTURIST:
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July 27th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Yeah, our obsession with toilet paper is a weird one to be sure. Rinsing off with water is far cleaner. Butt, even though toilet paper is part of our existence as a nation, it’s not guaranteed a life. The problem is mostly infrastructure. It’s that 99.999% of the toilets in America don’t have rinse capabilities, and we just don’t change out our toilets very often. At least new toilets today are using a fraction of the water that they did a decade ago. That is a step in the right direction.
July 27th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
A couple of years ago Ralph Garman, a local L.A. radio reporter, came back from his honeymoon raving about the [Japanese] Toto toilet that was in his suite at the Royal Hawaiian in Honolulu. He spent an entire break talking about it, making essentially the same points as in your post. It all makes perfect sense to me…but have you priced one of these things lately?! They do a great job of flushing your cash.
July 27th, 2009 at 11:23 pm
I think that’s the major objection to these state-of-the-art commodes; even though they probably last a long time, people don’t like the up-front costs. One wonders what percentage of Japanese households actually have these and how many have a less-advanced model, i.e. are they mostly in the homes of the same people who have TV sets the size of a small movie theater screen? Also, how reliable are they? I would suppose in a modern home with more than one bathroom, it’s not a big issue–in older homes, if the only toilet on the property fails, you’ve got a problem.
Speaking of bathroom tissue, a report from the old days of the Soviet Union revealed why the Moscow newspaper “Pravda” was so popular, even though most of the stories were straight from the Commie propaganda machine. Just about every bathroom in Moscow had yesterday’s Pravda–torn into appropriate-sized squares.
July 28th, 2009 at 3:05 am
One point also not considered is that these things, while wonderful, require electricity and most American homes do not have electrical outlets close by their toilets. We obviously have outlets by our sinks, but adding an outlet that can be reached from the toilet is often impractical or adds a prohibitive expense.
July 28th, 2009 at 10:11 am
i’ve been familiar with TOTO toilets since I was a child, except back then, some were squat toilets as in China, this way of “going” is even still considered even more hygienic and better for your prostate than the wester models of TOTO toilets! My parents in China have the model that not only sprays to clean but also blows to dry as well as warms the toilet seat for the cold winter months. My sister recently installed the same toilet in her new home in Atlanta. I hope that this catches on in America. The bathroom experience is generally awful in this county. It’s the one act we all need to do, without thinking, and the options being, inside or outside. It’s the only function of our bodies that we must facilitate that almost acts on auto pilot, unlike eating or drinking where we have a million choices of how, when, what at what cost etc. or sleep or sex, which again, we have choices. It’s about time that we confront the act of having to go to the bathroom as the last frontier of humanity that must be saved and treated with respect. It is for our bodies and health, after all! I am an artist whose performed the act of urinating everywhere else but the restroom having traveled within the US and abroad. While my intention is not to contaminate, it is to progress the attention of how essential the act is to our daily lives and how the experience is everything. We are not robots that must file into lines to submit to filth and smut of public toilet stalls. If we were, we wouldn’t have to go in the first place.
July 28th, 2009 at 10:22 am
I spent a some time in Tokyo and I loved these. The house I stayed in had two toliets, one of the more fancy water-spraying-uber toliets and one simpler model. The fancy one had almost all the features mentioned in the post, and was a joy to use, with the exception of the time when the water sprayer was accidentally triggered while I was bowing to the porcelain gods after a late night at the Izakaya. The simple one had an interesting feautre where there was a faucet and sink on the top of the tank. Clean water would come through the faucet after each flush, allowing you to wash your hands with the water that would refill the tank. This was a nice space saver considering the bathroom was about the size of a closet, and a great water saver as well. One nice benefit of Japanese toliets, no matter the degree of complexity was that most models had two flush options. Flip the flusher up for smaller jobs, and down for bigger ones. A more pleasant alternative to “letting it mellow.” I’d love to see more of these stateside in the future.
July 28th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
I think part of the issue is that Americans don’t really have any problems with the “way things are.” There isn’t much in the way of practical deficiency in current commodal options, short of using excess water and creating excess waste (which, when you’ve gotta do the deed, you’re not really thinking about anyway). Other than the heated seat and the light, the features that are discussed are more for post-business business. And Americans haven’t exactly embraced the bidet… actually, I’ve never seen one in the continental US (though I have in Puerto Rico). They’re much more common in Europe and Asia… and it shows the more abundant nature of water as opposed to resources such as toilet paper… and as such, the integration of bidet and toilet (as well as the sink, as previously mentioned) is a fairly logical space-saving step. The big-job/little-job flush is something that seems like it wouldn’t be too difficult to do, as well as the sink-on-the-tank idea, too.
July 28th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
The big/little flush option is starting to appear in the US–we were watching a home-improvement show on a PBS channel last night and a two-way toilet was pointed out as part of a remodeling job.
July 28th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
[...] What Do Americans Have Against Awesome Toilets? » INFRASTRUCTURIST [...]
July 29th, 2009 at 12:31 am
I’m adding a Tota Drake and Washlet to my soon to be finished bathroom. I couldn’t be more excited… Thinking about padlocking to door so my throneroom remains mine alone
Lame I know, but I fell in love with the Toto products while on vacation in St. Kits.
July 29th, 2009 at 9:28 am
Everyone is missing a BIG point here. Toilets aren’t replaced often, to be sure, and American houses stand without a new toilet for quite literally generations. If you have a working bathroom that you’re not remodeling, you only go out and get a new toilet if you’re either a raging environmentalist or fascinated by the prospect of the technology. When an American buys a house, there’s probably a 75%+ chance that they’re going to buy a used/existing house with an already-working toilet.
In Japan, most people wouldn’t dream of living in a house that someone else lived in. When you buy a house, you do so with the intention of tearing it down and building a new one. With this in mind, every house sale includes several new toilets, among other things. And why get the cheap American/basic toilets when you’re just financing and can get the nice, top-of-the-line Toto instead?
July 29th, 2009 at 10:27 am
They require electricity and water.
Further, if you can get the job done without squirting water up your butt, why would you? The question isn’t why don’t Americans…it’s why DO Japanese.
July 29th, 2009 at 10:42 am
Toto makes some great toilets and people are buying them. Probably the major obstacle to wide-spread adoption is the price of these toilets. When a 19th century model is a couple hundred bucks and the Toto is close to $1000, most people just go with the cheap one. We’ll see how this plays out.
July 29th, 2009 at 10:48 am
Cost is one important factor - $100 vs $2800. Contractors building average houses (not McMansions) use a lot of standard items. They don’t see people as really caring about the type of toilet so they go with plain; so why put out the extra money? People moving into houses that already have toilets installed don’t normally think about upgrading the toilet so much as replacing if it breaks. Apartments… well, they don’t shell out money for anything that can’t be replaced cheap.
Exposure is another. When someone says they need to replace their toilet, not many people think of anything but ole’ Bessy. A lot of the people that do think of ones like Toto don’t think of it for long since Bessy is so ingrained in us.
July 29th, 2009 at 11:35 am
@Nate -
I think one of the reasons the Japanese do use such toliets is the difference in diet and resulting difference in, well, waste. As an American living in Tokyo, I experienced a fairly large diet change and a resulting change in the more subtle aspects of different bodily functions.
As nice as these toilets are, viability with existing bathroom arangements is definitely a big issue, but I know if I am ever in the position to build a house, I will do some serious homework on Toto.
July 29th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
A few years ago I read a book (forget the title & authoress) about an American woman who lives in Japan and sells these toilets. Fascinating as they are, I grew-up as a military brat in far-flung places, and I have used the benjo in Japan and the bidet in Europe. Gotta tell ya: as a guy, having my hoo-ha schpritzed with jets of water is not something I have high on my wish-list. Nope - ain’t gonna happen willingly, and I am not going to pay for it. I find a much more practical solution is to keep baby butt wipes to hand. I just replaced the toilets in my 1964-built home and found a much better solution with a “dump-tray” low-flush model that works really well from “Glacier Bay.” Toto may as well stay in Oz, ’cause there ain’t nobody in Kansas who really wants a toidy that hoses their tucheses (tuchi? tuchim?). Now, if Barca-lounger made a toilet for guys that included a remote-tray, cup-holder, and magazine rack - that might sell for guys wanting that final touch for their Man Caves.
July 29th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
“as a guy, having my hoo-ha schpritzed with jets of water is not something I have high on my wish-list.”
My thoughts exactly. The thought of having water sprayed on my ‘dirty bits’ doesn’t exactly make me want to run out and spend hundreds of extra dollars on a toilet. Even a heated seat and nightlight wouldn’t impress me very much. Seems pretty silly, honestly.
July 29th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Google doesn’t have a problem with it. They have pretty advanced built in features
July 29th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
My husband went ga-ga for the Tota WashLet in Japan, but I growled that we just replaced all our toilets with comfort level ones. “Don’t even think about it,” I warned. Well, he found a shop in our area that sells the Toto toilet and/or seat. So one of our new Kohler toilets has an even newer Toto seat and it is the talk of the town. He couldn’t be happier. I’m no longer opposed. We didn’t have to spend the entire bundle, either. Win/win/win.
July 29th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Cost is a big issue, but I think all these commenters are missing one big point: the Japanese and Asians in general are more concerned with cleanliness than Americans are and act accordingly. Don’t forget that we live in a country where until a few decades ago people “washed” themselves by sitting in a bathtub of dirty water. I personally don’t have one of these toilets because I rent, but when I buy a place in the next few years, I plan on making the investment.
July 29th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Rizzo, etc.,
I honestly would have felt very much that way, until I started giving this some thought after a conversation with Rose George, who wrote a great book recently on sewers and sanitation (The Big Necessity). What you’re offering is basically a dismissive “jokey” argument that this kind of thing is somehow feminizing or frou-frou. I mean it’s all kind of funny — I certainly chuckled at Trench’s comment — but the basic argument is very simple: It’s objectively much better. The other position is kind of like saying, I prefer dust baths to showers with soap and water. Fair enough, but…
-JR
July 29th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
JR: Americans tend to use humor to discuss, albeit obliquely, the functions of the southern end of a body heading north. This does not mean it is dismissive, but rather puts it on a more endurable level. Comparing dust baths to bathing is not a level argument, but it does bring the concept of culture to fore, and this is the larger issue: culture, and the adaptability of Americans to new ideas. We are an adaptable nation. An indicator of adaption is in the adoption of words into our lingo and the proliference of “foreign” food restaurants becoming part of main-stream cuisine. The American sense of bathroom privacy is almost offended by the idea of a guest in our homes needing to be given an operations handbook and a test-drive of the “necessary.” It is radical and almost baffling in the complexity being touted here for simple human waste elimination. As a host, I cannot imagine installing something so complex and deviant (from American Standards - pun) that requires me to have a lecture and demonstration for every guest who needs to use the potty. I can imagine this conversation through a closed door: (Me) “What’s wrong in there?” (Guest)” Every time I try to flush, a light comes on.” (Me) “Oh, you need to push the blue button to the right!” “It just sprayed my pants!” “You weren’t suppsosed to stand up first.” “Are you kidding me? It’s supposed to do what?!” And so on. It’s enough to make Thomas Crapper flush, er, blush.
July 29th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
[...] What Do Americans Have Against Awesome Toilets?: Alleged: “Japanese toilets are objectively superior in every important respect.” [...]
July 29th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
While I’m sure we would all hate to have a repeat of the “three seashells” scene from Demolition Man (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBI8uCKi2lI) at our own homes, my experience with Toto toilets in Japan has been fairly user friendly, and I couldn’t read any Japanese at the time I first used one. Plus the washing apparatus is entirely optional anyway, its not like they don’t use toilet paper in Japan, they do. Butt splasher or no, our sewer system and by extension our toilets are starting to show their age and it couldn’t hurt us to invest in more efficient toilets. The washing option is and will always be a matter of personal preference, but personally I’d like to see the option more available. The seat-only package is an interesting option that I was not aware of and I’m glad to hear about it, thanks.
July 29th, 2009 at 11:39 pm
The interesting bit is that traditional Japanese toilets were originally just holes in the ground, but that’s a whole other story… Regardless, Toto-esque toilets are great!
July 30th, 2009 at 1:27 am
When the majority of the population of the world still squats and cleans with stones or leaves, makes what kind of toilet we use seem silly. And 19th century plumbing was an outhouse with no electricity or running water! In the 30’s and 40’s, it was standard practice for men to use the garden when urinating…
Americans and other civilized countries with INDOOR plumbing still get laughed at by the other nations without. However, there are still parts of rural America with outdoor plumbing, as some see the elimination of waste inside to be very dirty!
What is really funny, is when I see footprints on the seat or rim of a toilet and know a squatter used it last!
July 30th, 2009 at 2:45 am
After living a few years in Japan with a Toto I definitely grew to like some of the aspects it provided. I certainly didn’t have the top of the line but the seat warmer in winter (which turned on when I sat down so wasn’t an energy drain) and adjustable flush-levels were definitely features I think people could get used to stateside with no adjustment period necessary. I agree with point about outlets by toilets being rare here but I think new houses or renovations could fix the problem for many over time. I definitely did not find myself using the bidet which ties in with the post above about the seat only add-on… perhaps Toto should ease their goals and try to push some of the features rather than all of them at once in a pricey super-toilet. I see toilet seats being a much more viable upgrade rather than entire toilets for most homes here.
July 30th, 2009 at 3:12 am
The answer is easy. Americans are too litigious.
July 30th, 2009 at 3:17 am
While I just bought a Toto Drake II 1.28g and find that it is one of the best I have ever used and totally worth the extra money, I do not agree with the washer/bidet idea at all. I have used real ones in Europe and most recently the all in one type at the Googleplex (yes you can find them in the US) and do not find that they do a very good job of cleaning. I let the thing soak me down and dry me off and then did a test wipe with some trusty paper to check and found quite a bit of stuff left over. To me this is just nasty. I wonder if this is why some Europeans smell funny (besides the not showering everyday deal, which is gross). Plus the jets sometimes hurt my softer parts. The heated seat is just silly, as is the light. The standing/squat ones I have used in Asia, as well as Europe, is also disgusting, squatting with your pants around your ankles and dropping the business in a small hole, ugg. Without perfect aim and solid stuff coming out every time, there is splatter. See the smelly comment… Personally I do not find the average American to be slow on the uptake of any new tech or unwilling to spend buckets of money on any stuff, if it actually improves what is already working. The new toilet tech is totally worth the effort and cost, especially if you have a 1.6g from a few years ago. Those were total crap compared to the new bowls out there. I say even better then the 3.5’s in most cases. The other junk is just that; junk, and in a few years that is just where they will be when the tech breaks.
July 30th, 2009 at 3:48 am
The Toto Neorest 600 which the article describes has a street cost of $3200. That’s your explanation right there.
July 30th, 2009 at 3:53 am
One comment for Trench: These toilets are not complicated to use at all. Actually, they operate just like any normal toilet does if you aren’t going to use any of the extra stuff (like the sprayers). Guests wouldn’t need an explanation at all — just do your business and flush.
I’ve been living in Tokyo for about 6 months, and at first I thought it was really strange to shoot water at my butt to clean it, so I stayed away from that feature. A couple months later, morbid curiosity took got the better of me, and I tried the damn thing out. I gotta say, it was way more effective than the 1 ply alternative I have in my bathroom. It gets your underside clean, and it’s much faster than wiping. I’m really going to miss this feature when I return to the States.
July 30th, 2009 at 4:02 am
I think the price is what Americans have against the toilets. Have you compared the price to those of a normal toilet? Their cheapest Neorest model (which are the ones with special features) is over $3,000. That’s more then 10 times the price of a normal toilet from home depot. I mean, sure, they are nice toilets, and I would love to have one, but for 99% of America, they are too expensive to afford.
It’s like comparing a Ferrari to a Honda Civic. You don’t see Ferrari’s all over the place… Because they are freaking expensive compared to other models that do virtually the same thing. If they had one of these Neorest models for $500, they would be selling out all over the country. But for $3,000? Only the rich can afford that, and with the recession… *shrug*
July 30th, 2009 at 4:32 am
There’s no way you can get 100% clean just with a stream of water. That thing would have to have the pressure of a Karsher, plus a stream of water to the anus is utterly displeasant *chuckles*
July 30th, 2009 at 6:56 am
I love how the myth of this being related to cleanliness obsessed Japanese gets pulled in here. I’ve been around more smelly Japanese people than smelly Americans. I’ve grew up in America, but have lived in Tokyo for the last 20 years and let me tell you that the Americans could really teach the Japanese a few things about tooth brushing, mouthwash, deodorant, and washing their clothes more often.
One of my husband’s acquaintances had a coworker who had to wear a uniform to work and she never washed the skirt. The stink got so bad that his acquaintance wanted to dry heave and her supervisor had to tell her to wash it. Maybe thinking you’re clean because you use a toilet to wipe your ass instead of doing it yourself lulls you into a false sense of your own level of hygiene.
July 30th, 2009 at 9:28 am
Maybe the reason they haven’t caught on is because they’ve done NO MARKETING and haven’t appeared on any commercials? An infomercial could have sold Toto’s electronic toilet seat warmers & bidet sprays.
July 30th, 2009 at 10:11 am
The first thing I though of was, “More things to break.” fixed at maybe a hundred an hour. Actually, maybe more. Technology ‘not come cheap,’ we know how much nineteenth century technology costs to fix, and have plenty of experience with the outside mirror parts department at Toyota.
The second thing I thought of was my many years of trying to get my hands dry at an electrical air blower, whilst “rubbing them together briskly.” Like nervous toe tapping, it sounds like yet another way to get arrested in a public toilet. I’ll pass on Toto and the Kansas tornado joke.
July 30th, 2009 at 10:34 am
Hi Americans,
How many trees have to be cut down to manufacture toilet paper?
Use water for a change !
James.
July 30th, 2009 at 11:07 am
Having been to japan a few times I can say I wasn’t toon keen about the spray until I tried it. These toilets are on a whole other level of awesome that those who haven’t tried are unaware of. To the detractors, try it before you knock it. I will be getting one for my new house when the time comes.
July 30th, 2009 at 11:15 am
Americans are full of shit and like themselves that way?
July 30th, 2009 at 11:19 am
As far as expense and renovation cost go, you are replacing a toilet seat - not the entire toilet. You will need an electrical outlet within a few feet of the toilet but installing a GFCI outlet is something you can do yourself.
I’ve had my Toto Washlet for a couple of years now. Got it online for about $600 US shipped. People come over and are a bit scared of it at first - “Your toilet has a remote control!!!!” - but like the idea once they try it. It was definitely something I missed from my time in Japan. Almost everyone I knew had one in their home and they were installed in many public washrooms. After a while I would choose a washroom based on if it had a “shower toire” or not.
The stream has an oscilating function and pressure adjustment so you can be assured you are getting clean. I still use a bit of toilet paper just to ensure I got everything and to dry off but nowhere near the usual amount. It does a way better job of cleaning than toilet paper alone. Highly recommended.
July 30th, 2009 at 11:26 am
I would love to buy one, but I have never seen one at a store in the U.S. If someone actually sold them in stores, perhaps we would buy them.
July 30th, 2009 at 11:27 am
Because shooting water up your ass is frickin’ gay.
July 30th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Personally, my largest problem with the idea of one of these toilets is the water jets. I have no problem with the idea of a heated seat or nightlight or anything like that, but I just plain don’t want to have water sprayed at me after I’m done going to the bathroom.
July 30th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
To all y’all dumbasses saying ‘I’M NOT GAY NOT FOR THIS TOILET NOT FOR ANYTHING’ (which is what you’re saying when you enthusiastically say you don’t ever want to let water near your bugnhole!), I have a question. Why do you like to leave shit on your ass after you eliminate it from your body?
Using water, sprayed or poured, is a method of cleaning up. Swiping a handful of paper is a method of moving things around. Are you saying your paper cleans so well that you’d be willing to run your finger from backbone to taint, then lick it? Because if not, well, you have a shitty ass and seem to prefer it that way for some reason. What’s wrong with you?
I personally have an old-school toilet, for most of the reasons above, I rent, it hasn’t needed replacing, etc. But I still dislike the fact that unless I use at least two separate bundles and passes, there’s still crap on my ass. Which means until I shower, it’ll be there, and it gets worse by the hour - sweat gets down there, moving around causes it to liquefy and become soup, which then gets deposited on your gitch and leaves depressing brown stains. All of this is less than ideal, at least to me.
July 30th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Wouldn’t the poopy water drip down on your balls and make your sack smell like shit? I can’t imagine a stream of water properly cleaning the area without it spraying everywhere, and then what, you get up and let the shit water soak into your underwear? I’m confused
July 30th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
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July 30th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
It seems TOTO isn’t the only company doing fascinating things with Japanese toilet technology. . .
http://www.japanmarketingnews.com/2007/12/national-hopes.html
July 30th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
it seemed obvious to me, but you wouldn’t just spray and then leave with your ass dripping water. who would do that? well, americans, apparently. tip - just use a little bit of tp to dry after rinsing and you’re all set. way more hygenic and environmentally friendly than using tons of tp to wipe.
seat warmer is also clutch. awesome.
July 30th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
The japanese have cleaner asses than americans.
July 30th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
Sounds like every nursing home should have at least one of these for the patients who can no longer manage with toilet paper. This would save the staff that duty and the patient the indignity.
July 31st, 2009 at 1:35 am
I love the comment where the guy misspelled but, as ‘butt’.
ROFL!! I don’t know if it was deliberate.
July 31st, 2009 at 11:21 am
Jason: 2 years ago there was a big Toto ad campaign with smiles on buttocks and a microsite cleanishappy.com.. there was a huge billboard in Times Sq. It got scaled back because of complaints and was censored with a white bar over the butts.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20071115a1.html
July 31st, 2009 at 10:55 pm
But…the jet seems to be in an area that would be easily contaminated - I can just see all the feminne urinary tract and vaginal infections brewing if you get “cleaned” with jets of water filled with E. Coli and Proteus species.
August 1st, 2009 at 11:24 pm
These sound great, but perhaps they should have put less effort into the rainforest sounds and maybe developed an automatic bunghole targeting system or a manual one that uses submersible fiber optic cameras and closed circuit tv with a joystick.
August 6th, 2009 at 6:13 am
Hahahahaha i’m english and i got the most perfect toilet seat! Coincidence?!?! have a look the proof is right here - http://www.nationwidebathrooms.co.uk/default.asp?pn=Continuous_%26_Filler_Pieces&t=4&s=55 comfy and warm!
August 7th, 2009 at 10:19 am
Hey, Gonzobot, WAAAAAYYY too much information about your personal hygiene experiences!!!
“unless I use at least two separate bundles and passes, there’s still crap on my ass. Which means until I shower, it’ll be there, and it gets worse by the hour - sweat gets down there, moving around causes it to liquefy and become soup, which then gets deposited on your gitch and leaves depressing brown stains.”
August 8th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Hmm, there seems to be a little confusion here.
This article is about Japanese toilet SEATS, not actually Japanese toilets themselves.
Here is a picture of a Japanese toilet with a regular seat.
http://seriousgamessource.com/features/img/JapaneseToilet.JPG
The important treehugger thing about a Japanese toilet is that it has
1) a faucet and basin over the tank, and when you flush the toilet, the faucet turns on for you to wash your hands, and the water then flows into the tank and
2) a flush handle on the side of the tank, and if you push it backward, you get a small flush, and if you pull it forward, you get a full flush.
Toilets in Japan have been like this for more than 50 years, but this seems to be surprising and an “invention” even to editors of, for example, Scientific American.
At our house in Hawaii, we recently replaced a 55-year-old toilet that used 3.5 gallons per flush with a Toto low-flush that uses 1.3 gallons per flush. It does not have the fancy electric seat and bidet. The flush is amazing, quiet, and clean. It was expensive, $500, but there was a $100 rebate from the water company. I guess it will eventually pay for itself, but I am more concerned with conserving water.
The thermosiphon solar water heater we installed 30 years ago is still working fine, and for a $5,000 (in current dollars) investment, we have saved $1,000 dollars a year on electricity (20% return on investment), for a total of something like $30,000, so I think of the new toilet as being “free” in a way.
September 2nd, 2009 at 11:51 am
[...] Blog: http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/07/27/why-do-americans-have-against-awesome-toilets/ [...]
December 9th, 2009 at 5:46 am
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