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Why Japanese Toilets Are Failing in America (2013)
- raldi 11y agoNote that deep into the piece, the author reveals he's never actually tried one before. So take his advice and analysis with a grain of salt.
- bane 11y agoHere's my answer: * no plugs near the toilet in American homes * too f'ing expensive Combined, these two turn getting a Japanese style toilet into a multi-thousand dollar investment. To compare, even reasonably nice toilets cost <$200 at your local hardware store. There are U.S. homes with Bidets in them. My sister had one in the master bath of her 1940s era home. But they're again another $200-400 prices plus plumbing costs. If somebody made a Japanese style toilet, and it and install were <$500 Toto brand toilets would be everywhere.
- txru 11y agohttp://www.amazon.com/Luxe-MB110-Non-Electric-Mechanical-Attachment/dp/B001KKRCFA/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen-bath&ie=UTF8&qid=1431890791&sr=1-1&keywords=bidet http://www.amazon.com/Luxe-MB110-Non-Electric-Mechanical-Att... These definitely aren't nearly as nice as the Japanese toilet (which is mostly noticed in that the temperature of the bidet water is at pipe temperature), but they do render both of your big points moot. I own one, and I highly recommend them.
- chaostheory 11y ago"no plugs near the toilet in American homes" Yes this is the reason we don't have one in our home... the licensed electrical work needed is both too much of a hassle and expensive. Electrical work, especially in the bathroom, is not something I'm willing to hack.
- dmckeon 11y agoI saw the bidet seat attachments being hawked in the aisle of a CostCo recently, so that may be a sign that people in the US are willing to consider the purchase. http://www.costco.com/toilets-washlets.html http://www.costco.com/toilets-washlets.html Re the "flushable" wipes - many US municipal waste plants would reportedly like that word removed from the labeling - while they will flush, they do not decompose readily. http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/flushable-personal-wipes-clogging-sewer-systems-utilities-say/2013/09/06/9efac4e6-157a-11e3-a2ec-b47e45e6f8ef_story.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/flus...
- bane 11y agoYeah, I saw those too. $250-$600?! Why is the one without the $10 of plastic seat cover just $40, while the ones with are 10x as much? There's a two-pack consisting of two entire toilets, with seats, that within the ballpark of just one of those bidet seats. I cannot fathom what kind of gold plated electronics are stashed away inside of these bidet seats. The $600 model has a cutaway view showing maybe $150 of stuff packed away inside. This is kind of what I'm talking about. The price for Japanese-style toilet stuff is kind of bonkers.
- kw71 11y agoI didn't really like living and working in Japan, but the toilet in my flat is one of the few things that I dearly miss. I don't know why anyone would want to stick their hand in "the mess" with a flimsy layer of cheap paper as the only insulator between skin and "the mess" when such a great alternative is available. The machine I had in Japan had a hot water connection instead of an electric heater. However, being electrically inclined, the models sold in the USA would be a better proposition for me, rather than having to plumb a hot water line to the toilet. I'm going to get a Toto as soon as I expect to remain in one place for longer than five years. On the other hand, I've had experience with German toilets too, and wow the fact that this exists makes me sad.
- wtbob 11y agoHow do folks use bidets (or those spray-hoses they use in India) without getting water and feces everywhere? How do they dry off without using tons of toilet paper? The whole bidet thing just seems messy and unsanitary. I'm sure that there's a way to use it which isn't messy and unsanitary, but I'm not about to make a mess trying to learn!
- sanmon3186 11y agoI am sure your opinion would change once you start using it. It's definitely not as messy as you describe it. On the contrary it takes less paper and is more sanitary IMO.
- cpncrunch 11y agoHow does it clean you properly with just water? Surely you would need to use soap and use your hand, which doesn't seem to be very sanitary... EDIT: there's no need to downvote...I was simply asking a question, as I've never used a bidet. However in my experience, it's not possible to remove all the poop simply using a shower...soap and hand action is also required. I'm curious about how the spray can clean you properly.
- seba_dos1 11y agoWhatever you do, you'll end up cleaner than when just wiping with paper anyway.
- tincholio 11y ago> Surely you would need to use soap and use your hand, which doesn't seem to be very sanitary... You can wash yourself with soap, and then wash your hands (which you should do in any case). I don't see how you can think that leaving all that the TP doesn't take away can be _more_ sanitary than a bidet.
- cpncrunch 11y agoI never said that TP is more sanitary. I was more concerned about poopy water dripping from your hands while getting the soap, or poopy water splashing onto your legs, etc. However as I've never used a bidet, perhaps these aren't problems. I think if you really want to get clean after a particularly messy poop, the best way is to have a shower from the crotch down.
- crimsonalucard 11y agoBefore smartphones became the rage, American consumer technology always lagged behind japan in terms of adoption. I think this is still the case for a lot of things, including toilets.
- ZanyProgrammer 11y agoEven in more rural parts of Japan, how quickly is technology adopted? Or do we make the assumption that Tokyo and a few other cities == Japan?
- bearbin 11y agoTokyo alone has 25% of Japan's population. So I think it is fair to say that Tokyo and a few other cities == Japan.
- mhurron 11y agoEven then I don't think it's true. Some things caught on big in Japan, but in general it seems that they're no less conservative than consumers in the US. It's not like that started with smart phones, DVD and home computers took off in the US well before they did in Japan.
- dheera 11y agoIn 2009 I went cycling around the Japanese countryside. I was enjoying the scenery of farmland when all of a sudden this drone came out of nowhere and started spraying all the crops.
- smitherfield 11y agoYes and no. Fax machines are still more popular than email in Japan.
- idlewords 11y agoI brought one of these home from Japan and have been trying it out on unsuspecting houseguests. People usually yelp the first time (surprise heated seat!) and after the second time they're hooked. The water jet is unsettling the first time you use it, but you get used to it quickly. The feeling of having a genuinely clean butt gives you the confidence you need to go crush it in the boardroom.
- ZanyProgrammer 11y agoHow do you dry your ass off?
- y2bd 11y agoObviously you still have toilet paper, but in my experience some of these toilets also have air jets for drying.
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]
- ams6110 11y agoBased on trying to use toilet paper to dry off from an errant splash, it's not very good at that purpose. It's designed to fall apart as soon as it gets wet. And anything that isn't (paper towels, etc.) should really not go down the drain, as it's likely to form clogs.
- danneu 11y agoYou're just cleaning up droplets of water on the underside of your butt, not sponging up a puddle. If your toiler paper can't handle that, I have to wonder how it can handle its other duties. Try a higher ply.
- idlewords 11y agoWipe once with toilet paper and you're good to go. It's like the best of Eastern and Western civilization, coming together to clean your ass.
- blake8086 11y agoAfter using them in various Google bathrooms, I spent the money and added a Toto washlet to my toilet. It has easily been worth it.
- lordnacho 11y agoSo I was shopping for bathroom fixtures with my wife and I decided to use the bathroom (the ones that were plumbed!). I sit down, do my thing, and I notice there's a remote control unit. I press the button and a jet of water shoots up my ass, and I get so freaked out I stood up and got the rest of me wet, too. Having not read the manual, I press a few more buttons because I hear these things dry you as well. It did, after a few more squirting incidents. It would have been cool to have one of these things, but they do cost a fair bit more than a normal toilet. Also your guests may never return to your house. Oh and someday these things will be so advanced they will be considered intelligent. Terrible thought, an intelligent being whose whole life is looking where the sun don't shine.
- maxerickson 11y agoProctologist?
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]
- someone324 11y agoThis is a big deal, but no one wants to think or talk about it. You can start to experience this by just taking a shower immediately after anything that would normally require a bidet (read: toilet paper... or kleenex). It's quickly realised that this means a LOT of time wasted taking showers and clothes-changing to stay clean in only two areas. And I'm sure everyone shaves often enough so that nothing sticks, right? It then become annoying, as this is entirely a solved problem from the engineering side (very much "not invented here"). I don't even use toilet paper any more. However, I live in an apartment and can't afford one of these washlets anyway, yet I very clearly see the advantages.
- pmontra 11y agoAs an Italian living in Italy (bidets in every bathroom here) I can't think of any more convenient way to clean myself after I used the WC. I experienced the Japanese one in Japan and it's not as effective, but it's better than nothing.
- jasonwen 11y agoI experienced the japanese toilet the first time in 2006. I was curious to try but afraid it would get messy. It takes a bit getting used to. When i came back to the netherlands, i wanted to buy one too but, like the US, no power in the toilet. After i got my new apartment i had a power outlet built in the toilet. Now im so used to it, sometimes i even look for the remote in other peoples toilets, lol. They say using TP only cleans 20-30% of bacteria and with a bidet around 95%. Most important is that you feel just fresher down there. My friends coming over dont use it, but my girlfriend does and loves it.
- raarts 11y agoJust an FYI: The Dutch word 'toilet' means restroom or bathroom. So if a Dutch person would say: "I washed my hands in the toilet", that doesn't mean what you think it means..
- stuaxo 11y agoWell, British (International) English too... it always seems weird the US thing of calling the toilet the bathroom.
- tegeek 11y agoIf anyone wants to give it a try, here it is a cheaper alternate [1]. This doesn't require the electricity since it is manual but more or less play the same role like Japanese toilets (without drying facility but you can use TP after using it). 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bidet_shower http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bidet_shower
- yodsanklai 11y agoAnd they are useful to clean the toilets as well.
- tsukikage 11y agoAmerican homes are generally insulated, not drafty, and centrally heated. There is therefore no need to heat your butt to stop it freezing to your toilet seat, and so no overwhelming drive to connect everyone's loos to the mains, and all the other features aren't enough to make it a mainstream purchase.
- bemmu 11y agoThe heat is nice, but the bidet function is the main reason I'd want one if I ever move from Japan.
- bidetsprayerman 11y agoCheck out the Hand Bidet Sprayer at www.bathroomsprayers.com.
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]
- tomcam 11y agoWe love these things. We have bought at least 8 of the Totos over the last 10 years. None has ever needed repair (we have several houses). They helped me a lot after an abdominal operation, and are good for our severely learning delayed son.
- steven2012 11y agoStupid question, but doesn't the stream of water potentially spray fecal matter all over the nozzle itself, causing contamination?
- bhayden 11y agoI would recommend not drinking from your bidet, after which this is a moot point. Most things in bathrooms have small amounts of fecal matter on them. To actually answer your question, this has never been a visible issue for me in the many years I've used one.
- mixmastamyk 11y agoI've already read several good reasons here. Another major problem is that the issues solved by these expensive toilets can be solved by much cheaper means. Temperature: cold seats are not a problem in the Southern third of the country, and where they are, a padded vinyl seat is quite effective in mitigating the problem. Cleanliness: Wet wipes work quite well. Our favorite after trying many brands with a new baby is the Target generic unscented wipes. They are about $2.50 a pack, or $20 for a metric-xxxxload. Therefore I cite the KISS rule, "keep it simple stupid." Cost and maintenance issues heavily favor the simple toilet and why I've never been very interested in fancy ones despite the disbelief of others.
- ahoge 11y ago> Wet wipes work quite well. Wet wipes are terrible for the sewage system: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/15/nyregion/the-wet-wipes-box-says-flush-but-the-new-york-city-sewer-system-says-dont.html http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/15/nyregion/the-wet-wipes-box... > [Wet wipes] are about $2.50 a pack, or $20 for a metric-xxxxload. You can buy a cheap mechanical bidet attachment for around $30.
- digisign 11y agoThey can be folded over and thrown out.
- ahoge 11y agoThere are, however, many Americans who started to use wet wipes because they want to feel cleaner. Bidet attachments and bidet seats ("washlets") are much cheaper in the long run and they also aren't a problem for the sewage system. By the way, electricity isn't an unsolvable problem. There are water resistant extension cord covers. You can safely extend it. Maybe it would be a good idea to produce models with replaceable power cords (with generic IEC 60320 plugs) for the American and European market.
- simonblack 11y ago"Also, interestingly enough, most people who grew up with bidets believe the toilet paper only method to be unsanitary whereas those brought up on TP only believe bidets to be inferior." If bidets are inferior to TP, then why should we wash our hands after using the toilet? Surely a wipe over of our hands with a piece of TP would be better.
- stonemetal 11y agoHow about you can't compare a bidet to washing your hands. When you wash your hands you use soap and purposefully rinse a way from your body. A bidet just sprays some water with no anti microbial properties, and it makes no attempt to wash germs away from your body. Tp might not be great at going antimicrobial but at least it is intelligently applied to keep germs contained instead of washing them all over your backside.
- bidetsprayerman 11y agoIntelligently applied to keep germs contained? The intelligence left the building with that statement. Water is 10X more hygienic than toilet paper. Next time you want to wash your hands try wiping them with dry toilet paper.
- DanBC 11y agoYour hands touch your eyes, nose, mouth and food. The possibility of transferring germs is high unless you carefully wash your hands.