Japanese toilets

Japan has always been associated with technological advancement. Even the humble toilet is not free from technology. 


Most foreigners on their maiden trip to Japan are intrigued by the Japanese toilet. 

The toilet here is no less than a throne. Firstly, it comes with seat heater, to keep your butt warm when you are doing your "business". Next, the toilet seat comes with a bidet, a shower for cleaning and sometimes also with a dryer. Some models may even have a deodorizer and a Flushing sound button to filter out any sounds that may cause embarassment. (Sometimes this is also termed as Etiquette bell.) 

Operating the bidet/wash and dry functions is through a panel of buttons usually attached to the side of the toilet seat or sometimes to the wall. Pictures on the buttons tell it all. Like most other Japanese equipments, this comes with a long list of instructions, mostly in Japanese but accompanied by English most of the times. And the functions come with a sensor attached to the toilet seat which ensure that unless the user is seated the functions don't work. 


Toilets also have the toilet papers. Toilet papers in Japan are designed to be flushed in the toilet and not to be put in the garbage bin.  


Toilets come with baby rest seats- a boon for people with infants. 


These toilets are found almost everywhere in Japan, be it shopping malls, hotel rooms, restaurants, railway stations, airports, public rest areas and even in some parks.


 Most new homes are equipped with these bidet toilets or washlets as they are known. 

The traditional Japanese style squat toilets are commonly found and the older generation still prefers them to the new Western style toilet.  


While almost everything in Japan comes for a price, using these hi-tec toilets is still free of cost.