The Best Toilet by Colin Kowalski
Japan - known for its sushi, ramen, volcanoes, and culture. However, there's one more thing about Japan that you might not know - they have the best toilets. According to National Public Radio (npr.org), Japan has the best toilets, with all of the features you'd expect and more.
Japan's toilets, called the Washlet, have several different settings that make them better than our toilets. They have dryers and heated seats, deodorizers to make the air smell good, noise machines so your stall can be filled with peaceful sounds (like water flowing or rain), and the latest even have built-in night lights and music players! The Washlet is a marvel of technological innovation. The toilets are like the new iPhone 11, with all the new features, while our toilets are like landlines from the 70s - they get the job done, but without the comfort heated seats (well, maybe that's just for the toilets).
The craziest part about all of this is how widespread these toilets are across Japan. According to NPR, these hi-tech toilets are everywhere, from high-end hotels and restaurants to bus stations and rest stops. They're even in 80% of Japanese homes!
As I learned more about these Japanese toilets, I wondered "why don't we have these gifts from God here in the US? The author of "Why America is Losing the Toilet Race," Greg Rosalsky, had the same question in mind, and he interviewed the president of Toto USA, Bill Strang, to find out. Toto is the company that makes the Washlet. After all, there are plenty of Toto toilets in the US. According to Strang, the Washlet has been on sale in the US since 1990! However, it never took off in the states, and the traditional "bedpans with a drain" were the go-to as far as toilets go.
Rosalsky credited this lag in technology to a theory economists call "technology diffusion." Technology diffusion is the theory that new gadgets (like the Washlet) slowly diffuse through the world, the same way that spilled water will slowly diffuse across the sink, expanding in all directions. The Washlet certainly attests to the validity of this theory. According to Strang, besides for Japan, the Washlet sells the best in the Asian Pacific Rim, or the area of Asia that borders the Pacific.
Another reason for the lack of luxury in the US could be a testament to the hygiene and cultural morals of the Japanese. According to Strang and Rosalsky, the Japanese highly prize bathing, hygiene, and cleanliness (not to say that the US doesn't - just that in Japan, it is seen more). Their streets are cleaner than ours. Their public transportation is nicer than ours. When eating at restaurants in Japan, a hot towel is given before and after meals to rid of bacteria. This need for hygiene probably drove the innovation of these toilets in Japan.
Shown here is the Washlet toilet by Toto, with some of its wonderful amenities.
Japan's toilets, called the Washlet, have several different settings that make them better than our toilets. They have dryers and heated seats, deodorizers to make the air smell good, noise machines so your stall can be filled with peaceful sounds (like water flowing or rain), and the latest even have built-in night lights and music players! The Washlet is a marvel of technological innovation. The toilets are like the new iPhone 11, with all the new features, while our toilets are like landlines from the 70s - they get the job done, but without the comfort heated seats (well, maybe that's just for the toilets).
The craziest part about all of this is how widespread these toilets are across Japan. According to NPR, these hi-tech toilets are everywhere, from high-end hotels and restaurants to bus stations and rest stops. They're even in 80% of Japanese homes!
As I learned more about these Japanese toilets, I wondered "why don't we have these gifts from God here in the US? The author of "Why America is Losing the Toilet Race," Greg Rosalsky, had the same question in mind, and he interviewed the president of Toto USA, Bill Strang, to find out. Toto is the company that makes the Washlet. After all, there are plenty of Toto toilets in the US. According to Strang, the Washlet has been on sale in the US since 1990! However, it never took off in the states, and the traditional "bedpans with a drain" were the go-to as far as toilets go.
Rosalsky credited this lag in technology to a theory economists call "technology diffusion." Technology diffusion is the theory that new gadgets (like the Washlet) slowly diffuse through the world, the same way that spilled water will slowly diffuse across the sink, expanding in all directions. The Washlet certainly attests to the validity of this theory. According to Strang, besides for Japan, the Washlet sells the best in the Asian Pacific Rim, or the area of Asia that borders the Pacific.
Another reason for the lack of luxury in the US could be a testament to the hygiene and cultural morals of the Japanese. According to Strang and Rosalsky, the Japanese highly prize bathing, hygiene, and cleanliness (not to say that the US doesn't - just that in Japan, it is seen more). Their streets are cleaner than ours. Their public transportation is nicer than ours. When eating at restaurants in Japan, a hot towel is given before and after meals to rid of bacteria. This need for hygiene probably drove the innovation of these toilets in Japan.
Shown here is the Washlet toilet by Toto, with some of its wonderful amenities.
I wonder how expensive they are.
ReplyDeleteWow I can't believe that 80% of Japanese home are using these toilets! America is so behind.
ReplyDeleteThis was informative and funny! How did you end up choosing this topic?
ReplyDelete