Teacher ShelleJapan's Hi-Tech Toilets
 After the war, Western-style toilets gradually gained favor in private homes, since it is less straining to sit on a seat than to squat. And in 1977 the number of Western-style toilets marketed in Japan surpassed that of Japanese-style toilets. This trend led to a significant innovation in Western-style toilets: the birth of toilet seats with a cleansing function that uses warm water. One of the most popular brands today is the Washlet, which was introduced in 1980 by Toto, a manufacturer of ceramic sanitary equipment. The Washlet features a nozzle that extends forward from under the seat to emit a jet of warm water, as well as a warm-air dryer. Warm-water bidet toilet seats revolutionized the Japanese perception of toilet going, as it introduced the idea of washing and drying instead of wiping with toilet paper. Great improvements have been made since that time, and Washlets today have many amazing features. Heated seats have become standard, and the newest models can oscillate the water pressure, automatically absorb the smell after a user leaves the seat, and even warm up the entire lavatory at a preset time. source: http://web-japan.org |