Washlet!

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Let's talk about toilets. They're one of the first things that visitors to Japan comment on, after all – though these days the horror stories of squatting grimly over holes in the ground have been largely replaced by wide-eyed tales of buttock-warming, scent-squirting wonder machines and urinal video games. Read on for a tour of five of Tokyo's most unique lavatories, and an illustrated history of the most famous Japanese toilet of them all, the Toto Washlet.

Five to try: Tokyo toilets with a twist

Some people may think toilets are a dirty business, but the Japanese know they're nothing to be sniffed at. Here are five of Tokyo's most celebrated water closets...

Courtesy of Meguro Gajoen

Meguro Gajoen
The harmony and spirit of traditional Japan flows throughout this luxury hotel and wedding palace, and the toilet facilities are no exception. Enter the WC and you'll be greeted by a delicately burbling brook that's crossed by an arched bridge, before you reach your own private chamber and do what needs to be done in a spirit of perfect zen
Meguro Gajoen, 1F, 1-8-1 Shimo Meguro, Meguro-ku

Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo
Ever dreamed of urinating out over the world's grandest, most sprawling metropolis? That dream can move one step closer with a trip to the 38th floor of the Mandarin Oriental, where the urinals stand against a full-length window, allowing you to enjoy a panorama of the city while you pass water the way the gods probably did
Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo, 38F, Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower, 2-1-1 Nihonbashi-Muromachi, Chuo-ku

Sanrio Puroland
Hello Kitty likes to add a splash of magic to everything, although some of the toilets at her theme park in western Tokyo may make you wonder if she has been engaging in a dash of black sorcery too. If your toilet experience is enhanced by the feeling of being watched by angry cartoon trees, however, it's an essential visit
Sanrio Puroland, 1-31 Ochiai, Tama-shi

Wako
This high-end retailer in the stylish Ginza district has been setting the standard for luxury in Tokyo since it was built in 1932. Its toilet cubicles are more like private suites, with gold-plated taps as standard. Admit it, you'd live in one if you could
Wako, 4-5-11 Ginza, Chuo-ku

National Stadium
When Tokyo hosted the Olympics in 1964, the country was buoyed by a sense of infinite possibilities. That might explain the curio you'll find lurking in the bowels of the former Olympic Stadium: a rare (and now sadly unused) female urinal
National Stadium, 15 Kasumigaoka-machi, Shinjuku-ku

The History of the Washlet

Toto's fabled Washlet toilet celebrated its 30th anniversary last year, with total global sales of over 30 million to date. Join us on a tour through the history of Japan's most popular bidet...

The original 1980 Washlet G

1980

The first Washlet toilet is released in Japan, built around the triple concept of warm water to wash, warm wind to dry, and warm seat to ensure a pleasurable toilet experience in the coldest of seasons. Toto's dedicated team of engineers came up with the final design after many years of research into the ergonomics of the human form, with special emphasis on washing bums.

Also this year:
-UK and Spain open the Gibraltar border for first time since 1969
-Metal band Iron Maiden release their eponymous debut album
-Pac-Man, the most popular arcade game ever, is released
-Ronald Reagan defeats Jimmy Carter to become 40th president of the United States
-Eurovision Song Contest won by 'What's Another Year?' by Johnny Logan (Ireland)

1983

After detailed research among their wives and female co-workers, Toto scientists introduce a bidet function designed especially for feminine needs. The new Washlet is also the first to include a self-cleaning nozzle.

Also this year:
-Nintendo Famicom (NES) goes on sale in Japan
-Rock band Kiss perform without makeup for the first time since 1973
-Tennis legend Bjorn Borg retires after winning five consecutive Wimbledon titles
-6,800 gold bars stolen from a vault at Heathrow Airport. Some say any gold jewellery bought in the UK after 1983 is probably made of stolen gold
-Eurovision Song Contest won by 'Si la vie est cadeau' by Corinne Hermès (Luxembourg)

1985

Japan is in the midst of an economic bubble, and individuality is everything. Japanese people no longer want to be confined to 30-second cleaning sessions on their Washlet, so Toto boffins respond to the needs of the era with variable spray times.

Also this year:
-New Coke released
-New Coke withdrawn
-Live Aid raises $50 million for famine relief in Ethiopia
-Wreck of the Titanic discovered in the North Atlantic
-Eurovision Song Contest won by 'La det swinge' by Bobbysocks (Norway)

1987

The height of the bubble era is a period of untrammelled luxury for Japan. Always in tune with the times, Toto introduces the Washlet Queen, with twelve new options including smooth-closing seat and inbuilt deodorant

Also this year:
-Iran-Contra arms for hostages scandal engulfs Reagan White House
-First appearance of The Simpsons as part of The Tracey Ullman Show
-Construction of the Channel Tunnel begins
-Final Fantasy roleplaying game released for the Nintendo Famicom
-Eurovision Song Contest won by 'Hold Me Now' by Johnny Logan (Ireland)

1991

After years of being confined to individual homes, the Washlet makes its first appearance in public toilets. 'Our office building has Washlet toilets,' becomes the phrase every status-conscious business dreams of being able to say

Also this year:
-Sonic the Hedgehog released for the Sega Master System
-Tim Berners-Lee and scientists at CERN launch the World-Wide Web
-Apartheid ends in South Africa
-Collapse of Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union. Cold War ends
-Eurovision Song Contest won by 'Fångad av en stormvind' by Carola (Sweden)

1993

The first 'tankless toilet' does away with the cistern to become the most compact, streamlined Washlet yet. This new model later goes on to include the ability to play music and release its own fragrance

Also this year:
-Trade barriers in Europe are removed, and the EU comes into being
-Public allowed entry to Buckingham Palace for the first time
-Homosexuality decriminalised in Ireland
-Actress Audrey Hepburn dies. Model/singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu born
-Eurovision Song Contest won by 'In Your Eyes' by Niamh Kavanagh (Ireland)

1999

In tune with more environmentally conscious times, Toto unveils the 'Apricot Starwash', featuring an easy-clean structure and advanced water conservation features

Also this year:
-Introduction of the Euro as the single European currency
-Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace is released
-Napster file sharing service launched, enabling users to share music over the internet
-Scotland gains its own parliament
-Dreamcast launched. It will be Sega's final video game console
-Eurovision Song Contest won by 'Take Me to Your Heaven' by Charlotte Nilsson (Sweden)

2010

The 2010 model Apricot becomes the most ecologically friendly Washlet so far, cutting water and energy use to their lowest levels yet. With All Nippon Airways planning to install Washlets in their passenger fleet, it also seems set to be the first toilet to conquer the heavens

Also this year:
-Burj Khalifa, at 830 metres the tallest building in the world, opens in Dubai
-Wikileaks releases thousands of secret US State Department documents onto the internet
-Spain becomes the first European nation to win a World Cup outside of Europe, beating Holland 2-0 in South Africa
-Eurovision Song Contest won by 'Satellite' by Lena Meyer-Landrut (Germany)

Toto aims to woo the European market with the 2010 Giovannoni Washlet, produced in collaboration with Italian designer Stefano Giovannoni

Check the official TOTO Europe GmbH website for more on the world of Japanese toilets

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