avatarS M Mamunur Rahman

Summary

Japan's high-tech toilets offer a plethora of features, including automatic lids, adjustable water and seat temperatures, bidets, air deodorizers, sound generators, and health monitoring systems, making them more advanced than many smartphones.

Abstract

Japanese toilets are renowned for their sophisticated technology, offering users a luxurious and hygienic bathroom experience. These high-tech toilets come with features such as automatic lid opening, adjustable water temperature for comfort in any season, heated seats to combat cold mornings, and bidet functions for enhanced cleanliness. Additionally, they provide air deodorizers, the Sound Princess system to mask sounds, and health tracking capabilities that monitor bodily fluids. The popularity of these advanced toilets is evident as they have become a standard in Japanese households and even inspired a museum dedicated to Toto's products. The article emphasizes the importance of understanding the features of Japanese toilets to avoid confusion and ensure a pleasant experience for visitors.

Opinions

  • The author suggests that the advanced features of Japanese toilets are memorable and can be overwhelming for first-time users.
  • The article implies a sense of pride and innovation in Japan's toilet technology, highlighting the country's continuous effort to improve hygiene and cleanliness standards.
  • It is noted that Japan's toilet technology is not only about comfort and luxury but also about environmental sustainability, with features like over-the-toilet sinks that save water.
  • The author expresses admiration for the thoughtfulness and ingenuity behind Japanese toilets, which cater to various needs, including those of the elderly.
  • There is a subtle encouragement for readers to familiarize themselves with Japanese toilet features before visiting Japan to avoid potential embarrassment.
  • The article praises the functionality and user-friendliness of high-tech toilets, suggesting that they enhance the overall bathroom experience.

Japan’s Toilets Have More Features Than Your iPhone

What Japan’s high-tech toilets can offer you.

Photo by Tim Mossholder from Pexels

Friends of mine who ever visited Japan never forget to mention Japan’s unique toilets while sharing their experiences. Why? Because it’s an unforgettable experience for them as they struggled a lot understanding what signs mean what. No wonder they got overwhelmed seeing features more than their iPhone.

I mean, seriously, when you think about Japan, don’t you think about its unique and advanced toilets for once, with all those bullet trains, vending machines, and sushi delicacy? Well, I do that very often.

What Japan’s High-Tech Toilets Can Offer You

Well, an article in LA Times starts like this — “It’s got wings, it’s sensitive, it’s smart. It cares, it knows when you’re around, it bleats when you arrive. Ignore it and you could be sorry. Treat it well and it will comfort you in your old age.”

Now, the best part. That article was published on December 13, 1999. So, you can easily imagine how far Japan’s toilets can go in the past twenty years.

Yes, it went so far that in 2015, a popular brand Toto built a $60 million museum for its renowned toilet products in the city of Kitakyushu. It is estimated that as of March 2016, 81% of Japanese households have state-of-art Western-style toilets.

Now, let’s know about some of the main features of Japan’s high-tech toilets.

Automatic Lid and Seat

This is an interesting feature. The lid and seat of high-tech toilets are automatic. When you enter the washroom and approach, the lid will automatically open to greet you. And if you go away leaving the seat up, it will automatically return to its original position after a few minutes. Isn’t that amazing?

Adjustable Water Temperature

You can adjust the water temperature based on your preference. You can get cold water on hot sunny days and warm water when the days are cold and snowy. In the most high-end model, the water gets heated in real-time.

Seat Heating Options

Just like adjustable water temperature, you can also adjust the heat of your toilet seat. This helps you avoid a shocking cold seat experience in the winter mornings. You can adjust the temperature of your seat as you like and have a lovely, comfortable bathroom experience. And, of course, you can turn this option off during the sunny months to save energy.

The Bidet (Posterior and Front Wash)

It’s a great feature that can clean your posterior than a paper towel or toilet tissue. An automated nozzle comes below the toilet seat and spray waters on your bottom and clean every end. Some models have additional bidet for women to clean their front.

Air Deodorizer

Most of the toilets have this by default. Some of them have a special ‘power deodorize’ button as well. It helps you get nice air while you are in the bathroom.

Otohime, or Sound Princess. Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Sound Princess

Most people feel embarrassed if others hear the sound of their business while they use the toilet. In most cases, they flush more than necessary to cover the sound. Consequently, a lot of water gets wasted. So, to address this problem, Toto introduced a device called the Otohime or Sound Princess that plays classical music to cover the sound while you use the toilet. It’s really an amazing feature.

Water Pressure Control

You can control the pressure of the water. And there are many options like weaker, stronger, and anything in between. The ‘pulsate’ button makes the nozzle automatically release water at your preferred pressure and gives you a comfortable and refreshing experience.

The Blow Dryer

This feature allows you to completely dry your bum. With just a gentle touch on a button, you can feel the warm wind from the blow dryer and have your bum clean and dry without even using extra toilet paper. Isn’t that great?

Timer

You can also set a time when you want the toilet ready for use. You can set your preferred time when the seat, water, and everything will be exactly how you want. For example, you can set a timer for morning time, and every day in the morning, your toilet will be exactly how you want. It will save your energy as well.

Control Panel. Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Remote Control

It may sound funny, but high-tech Japanese toilets indeed have remote controls. It is more convenient for you to use your preferred options. Imagine you are giving commands using the remote and your posterior is getting cleaned automatically. Isn’t that sound like a dream?

Over-the-Toilet Sink

This is a brilliant feature that saves both water and space. Over-the-toilet sink tap releases clean water, and after your use, it gets stored in the tank for flushing waste. It’s an environment-friendly, money and water-saving feature.

Night Light

Japanese smarter toilets have night lights. If you turn the light of the washroom off, you will have no problems using the toilet as it illuminates itself.

Tracking Your Health Condition

It may seem weird but the high-tech feature of a new smart Japanese toilet called ‘Flow Sky’ can monitor and check your urine to see whether there is any abnormality. Even some features can measure the user’s body fat, blood pressure, and the level of sugar in the urine to find out if there are any prostate or bladder problems.

There are also numerous features like soap spray, warm air dry, turbo wash, oscillating, massage cleaning, auto cleaning, etc. Moreover, these toilets are extremely elderly-people-friendly and have each and every feature they need.

To Conclude

Japan’s advanced toilets represent their immense care for hygiene and cleanliness. They constantly improve and innovate to make your bathroom experience better than before. And their advanced water-spraying and music-playing toilets are now taking over the world.

So, when you plan your first visit to Japan, don’t forget to know the features and how to use a Japanese toilet beforehand. Otherwise, unknown to those features, you may embarrass yourself.

Thank you for reading.

Sources

If you are interested to read more about Japan and its culture, you may check out the following articles:

  1. Japan Must Stop Killing Whales
  2. Things You Should Never Do in Japan
  3. Japan’s Love Hotels: A Secret Love-Making Place for Adults
  4. Will Japan Become a Country Full Of Aged People by 2045?
  5. Why Japanese Men Are Replacing Women with Holograms and Sex-Dolls

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Toilets
Japan
Japanese Culture
Hygiene And Sanitation
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