Sunday, November 16, 2008

Using the Toilet in Japan

The second most terrifying thing that you will inevitably have to do in Japan is use the toilet.

The Japanese are very 'in-to' their control pads.  There are control pads for the floor, the bath tub, the air conditioning, the motion detecting lights, the drier room and also the toilet.

It is a bit daunting at first, because once you sit down, there is a proximity sensor in the seat, which detects your presence and starts to run the 'deodorizing' system, which as best I can tell is just a vent which sprays some freshening agent every so often ... however being in the delicate situation that you are in, it is a little unnerving to hear noises of things moving around beneath you.

Once you get over this, you realize that the seat is nice and warm, thanks to the heating circuits that are installed in the seat.

After you have finished your business, there are many options for refreshing your backside before you continue on your day.  Some of the picture descriptions look downright terrifying, but I can assure you that they are all rather pleasant.  You simply need to trust that no matter what you hear happening, you will emerge safely from the experience (unless you decide to stand up early, in which case you will spray water everywhere).  True to form, you can adjust the water pressure, and temperature of the backside bath, as well as position the nozzle to where you feel you need it the most, or if you prefer you can engage an oscillating program, which covers all of the bases.

After you have completed your task and stand up, the proximity sensor detects that you are no longer near the commode & flushes it automatically for you.  Also, there is a faucet located on top of the toilet, so you can wash your hands without ever having to touch the water controls.

All in all, it's a pretty slick system, I am seriously considering digging my toilet up and bringing it back with me to the US.  I think that I could install it in a public place & make a lot of money selling people the chance to use it.  What do you guy's think?

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Simply amazing!
But you should post some pictures!