Japan's culture of techno-toilets

[Bookworm]

For Westerners, it is the device that has launched a thousand euphemisms: the water closet, the loo, the john, the can. Its existence is about function one that is best left as unacknowledged as possible.
But in Japan -- where Western-style commodes replaced the traditional squat-style affair only three decades ago -- the porcelain throne has attained something of a royal status. A quotidian workhorse is now a high-tech, multifeatured must-have that elicits almost reverential observations.
For Japanese today, it's so important that one type of toilet seat is an advertised feature at hotels.
Toyoko Inn, one of Japan's largest hotel chains, now makes the "Washlet" brand standard.
"If we had not installed them, they would have gone to another hotel," says Mami Ohashi, a hotel official. "[For most customers], a Washlet in the room is as high a priority as Internet connections."
The Washlet -- a seat that adds a bidet function and so much more to a regular toilet -- evokes warm feelings. That may be, in part, because some of the toilets literally heat up and light up when you walk in the room.
But consumers can also summon features that spritz your backside, dry, deodorize, flush automatically, and lower and raise the lid hands-free. Nor is there any need to do all this in silence: With the tap of a remote control, you can program a built-in audio system with the performance music of your choice.

http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/Story?id=6158686&page=1


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[manadren]

ya know, one of these days, I'm totally getting a fancy pants bidet toilet seat. I dunno about heated toilet seats though, if they aren't a little cold, my brain associates it with the idea of someone else's naked behind being there 2 sec ago.

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[Bookworm]

A friend of mine on my other forum is working in Japan right now, and he intends on upgrading his toilet when he returns home. Personally, I think there are probably better things to spend money on, but if a person has the money available, such a toilet might be quite refreshing.

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[Chris Vogel]

Employees did their bit: Nozzle designs, for example, were tested by monitoring the experiences of 300 employees.

“Monitoring”?

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[Bookworm]

Employees did their bit: Nozzle designs, for example, were tested by monitoring the experiences of 300 employees.

“Monitoring”?

lol. That was quite the choice of wording. Hopefully it was done by surveys and not multiple video feeds.

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[Red Squirrel]

lol this thread is full of win.



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[Stasi]

ya know, one of these days, I'm totally getting a fancy pants bidet toilet seat. I dunno about heated toilet seats though, if they are a little cold, my brain associates it with the idea of someone else's naked behind being there 2 sec ago.

Same here....

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[Red Squirrel]

I have this thing where when I go in a public washroom I always use the same stall. I just feel more comfortable using the same toilet instead of alternating. At least that way I know my butt is only coming in contact with the same toilet it's already been in contact with before.

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[Bookworm]

I have this thing where when I go in a public washroom I always use the same stall.  I just feel more comfortable using the same toilet instead of alternating.  At least that way I know my butt is only coming in contact with the same toilet it's already been in contact with before.

And everybody else who comes in probably uses that SAME stall. None of the other stalls are ever used.

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[Red Squirrel]

Haha that could be. It's the newest toilet too, brand new.

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[flowergirlajg]

I have this thing where when I go in a public washroom I always use the same stall.  I just feel more comfortable using the same toilet instead of alternating.  At least that way I know my butt is only coming in contact with the same toilet it's already been in contact with before.

And everybody else who comes in probably uses that SAME stall. None of the other stalls are ever used.

That would potentionally be the strangest cosmic convergence ever.
At least associated with public W.C's.

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[Bookworm]

I have this thing where when I go in a public washroom I always use the same stall.  I just feel more comfortable using the same toilet instead of alternating.  At least that way I know my butt is only coming in contact with the same toilet it's already been in contact with before.

And everybody else who comes in probably uses that SAME stall. None of the other stalls are ever used.

That would potentionally be the strangest cosmic convergence ever.
At least associated with public W.C's.

Wait a minute.

I didn't say that everyone was using that stall at the same time. Now THAT would be a cosmic convergence.


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[flowergirlajg]

And everybody else who comes in probably uses that SAME stall. None of the other stalls are ever used.

That would potentionally be the strangest cosmic convergence ever.
At least associated with public W.C's.

Wait a minute.

I didn't say that everyone was using that stall at the same time. Now THAT would be a cosmic convergence.

When the moon aligns with saturn...

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[manadren]

And everybody else who comes in probably uses that SAME stall. None of the other stalls are ever used.

That would potentionally be the strangest cosmic convergence ever.
At least associated with public W.C's.

Wait a minute.

I didn't say that everyone was using that stall at the same time. Now THAT would be a cosmic convergence.

No, I'm pretty sure that would be a Japanese porno.

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[flowergirlajg]

Well, i have never thought of it that way.

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[Bookworm]

Well, i have never thought of it that way.

Nor would I ever want to.

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[manadren]

Well, i have never thought of it that way.

Nor would I ever want to.

It's better that way, trust me.

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[Stasi]

Ugh

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[flowergirlajg]

Hmm. Slightly off topic, are we? Lol but thats alright, continue your teachings of pornography.

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