Japanese Toilet Tec

No Japan-focused blog would be complete without a post about Japan’s toilets. It’s true that you can still find old-style Japanese squat toilets in many places alongside newer Western-style toilets. (If you’re curious, there’s some at Tokyo Disneyland in the restrooms opposite the “Pooh’s Hunny Hunt” attraction.) Certainly, the squat toilets provide the cleanest experience possible as your tender bottom never touches anything, so there’s no chance of nasty stuff from the last user affecting you. However, it does take some getting used to for us foreigners as our calf and thigh muscles weren’t properly conditioned for the right stance.

Another Japanese innovation in toilet technology is the water-conserving “water recycling” toilet/sink combo. Actually, I have no idea what it’s really called, but that’s the best name I could come up with. It’s simple. When you flush the toilet, the water used to refill the tank comes out of a tank-mounted faucet for you to wash your hands (with clean water), then it flows down the drain into the toilet tank for use with the next flush. Many have 2 flush settings for “big” or “small” (corresponds to #1 or #2). You’ll see these in many Japanese homes.

Enter the latest Japanese technology pioneered by Toto, creator of the Washlet. Here’s a photo of a recent model.

Nice and shiny, isn’t it? There’s more to this than you can see in the photo above. The washlets have a little “water gun” that extends from under the rear of the seat. When you’re done with your “business”, the washlet shoots a stream of warm water to cleanse your behind. You can select from rear or front, and control the strength of the water pressure. Often, you can control the temperature of the water, pattern (rhythm?) of the stream, and adjust spray area (called “wide range” on the model in my home). Some have autodeodorizers that spin-up when weight is detected on the seat, and others even have a small fan that dries you off when done. My favorite feature is the fact that the seat is heated (also adjustable) which is sooo nice on those cold winter nights. Many models also have power raise/lower seats and auto flush. Take a look at that crazy control panel (yes, it’s wireless and mounted on the wall).

For those of you who lack imagination, here’s a visual aid.

If you don’t want to buy a whole toilet, you can purchase models that are basically add-on toilet seats.

Some may think this is strange, but I can tell you that there’s no cleaner toilet experience out there. Well, except for the squat toilet, of course.
Although washlets can be found in most homes, hotels, office buildings, shopping centers and even public restrooms in Japan, Japanese travelers are often out of luck when seeking one in foreign countries. To address this need, Toto has recently put a portable “travel washlet” on the market. We bought one and it worked great during our trip to Las Vegas last month, though it takes some skill to aim.

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