Word: washlets
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...Japanese bathrooms are the apotheosis of the nation's fascination with both cleanliness and high-tech gadgetry. The toilet at Tokyo Midtown may have been a rather basic model of what is called a "washlet," but its options included a warmed seat, bidet cleansing, spray cleansing (a rather different angle and spray from the bidet option), a "powerful deodorizer" and, of course, the "flushing sound" with adjustable volume. The last function is also ecologically friendly. Before the advent of the artificial running-water noise, many Japanese would camouflage the sound of their ablutions by flushing, thereby wasting tons of water...
...Despite the proliferation of sophisticated washlets, there are still plenty of old-fashioned squat toilets in Japan. This makes any trip to a Tokyo bathroom an exercise in extremes, either a thigh-challenging balancing act or a luxurious pampering. Back at Tokyo Midtown, as I watched the dogs cruise by in their custom strollers, I wondered if Japan's vaunted toilet-makers have considered creating a pet-friendly washlet. After all, at least one firm is busy trying to develop commodes that can do everything from test for pregnancy to check the glucose levels of diabetics. A high-tech...
Consider, for example, the Washlet, a technological wonder that takes the guesswork out of cleaning up. A kind of toilet bowl-cum-bidet, the Washlet sprays a water jet, then dries with a blast of warm air. For added comfort, the seat is heated. It even has a safety device: to prevent the mechanically inquisitive from being sprayed in the face, the water nozzle will not work until a sensor registers the presence of a seat upon the seat. The fruit of a two-year survey of the Japanese anatomy -- in search of the perfect angle for the water nozzle...
...when it was introduced in 1980, Washlets or similar brands of washing toilets have found their way into 1 out of 8 Japanese homes, according to TOTO. The latest model, called the Washlet Queen, includes a built-in deodorizer, a hand-held wireless remote control to activate front and back sprinklers, and a heater. For the particularly diffident, who hesitate to visit a showroom, TOTO offers a list of 28 shops and restaurants around Tokyo that have Washlets...