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Why aren't we all using Japanese toilets?

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Re: Why aren't we all using Japanese toilets?

#311

Post by ekianjo »

jpatokal wrote: post #245
jeffool wrote: post #191

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Speaking on cultural differences and American willingness to discuss bathroom culture... I, personally, don't like the idea of a warm seat. All I'll be thinking about is "someone else just used this toilet". Maybe one day I'll use one and it'll change my outlook completely, like the George Foreman grill nudged my outlook on the validity of infomercial products. But, until that happens? Nope, no thanks.

Warm seats seem like a pointless luxury if your bathroom is properly insulated and heated, but the vast majority of older Japanese housing is neither.

Well, it is still more economical to warm up ONLY the seat than insulating the whole room. Especially since you do not stay hours every day in the restroom.

Re: Why aren't we all using Japanese toilets?

#314

Post by dthunt »

ido wrote: post #174
FrojoS wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't have the source handy, but I remember there were at least two very attractive features that started the trend of "advanced" toilets in Japan: 1) A seat heater: Bathrooms used to be unheated so without this it would be very cold in the winter. Adding a heated seated was much cheaper than adding a room heater. 2) An artificial sound to overlay embarrassing farting sounds: Without this feature, it was common for…

2) An artificial sound to overlay embarrassing farting sounds: Without this feature, it was common for Japanese women to constantly use the flush in order to create a louder sound. This was obviously a huge waste water. Was this an issue because Japanese walls are thinner? Or homes smaller? Farting isn't considered particularly appetizing here either but I don't remember a single time this has been an issue (or ever…

The flushing is designed to cover up 'all' sounds. There's a lot of weird fetishes and taboos and hangups people have out here, so I wouldn't read too deeply into it. Diet is probably not a factor.

The otohime is a huge water saver, though.

Re: Why aren't we all using Japanese toilets?

#315

Post by dthunt »

crusso wrote: post #135
Aloisius wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The wands that spray you are almost always are self-cleaning.

So they have some sort of disinfection process like a chemical or heating element? UV? What does "self-cleaning" mean?

Meaning that cross-person fecal contamination should probably not be one of your major concerns. The nozzle does some sort of intense rinsing. I don't know about sterilization.

Re: Why aren't we all using Japanese toilets?

#316

Post by kretor »

ricardobeat wrote: post #300
nestlequ1k wrote: post #299

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I got poop on my arm, I wouldn't use toilet water to wash it off. This to me is the #1 reason I don't want bidets and would never use it. Pretty much the most repellent idea to me is the concept of the toilet spraying me back. How's this for an idea... a sink next to the toilet where I can warm a piece of paper with water and use it. Nice, simple, and works well. Or baby wipes. Those work really well too. Replicat…

The water comes from your water piping, not the toilet bowl.

Yes the water is clean, but that's only for sure until it comes out from what is basically inside the toilet bowl. If that opening is dirty, the water will be dirty.

Re: Why aren't we all using Japanese toilets?

#317

Post by blazingfrog2 »

greggman wrote: post #247
wilfra wrote: post #235

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For working class white American men, that is not limited to public restrooms. They're doing it at home too and laughing about it to their wives/girlfriends/kids - who probably call them disgusting to which they laugh even more. People with more class and manners tend toward the French way of doing it.

You mean people who are snobs tend toward the French way where as people who are fun and warm hearted have no problem laughing at farts. I would much rather be with a person that thinks farts are funny then one who doesn't. To each their own.

Funny or not (I don't think I'm any different from the natives in that regard), that doesn't explain why they would find it perfectly reasonable to share the joy in public where "fun" is certainly not the aim.

Re: Why aren't we all using Japanese toilets?

#318

Post by AYBABTME »

kretor wrote: post #316
ricardobeat wrote: post #300

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The water comes from your water piping, not the toilet bowl.

Yes the water is clean, but that's only for sure until it comes out from what is basically inside the toilet bowl. If that opening is dirty, the water will be dirty.

Do you believe the dirty water coming out of the opening will leave more shit on your bum than the crude white paper you use to rub it off?

Re: Why aren't we all using Japanese toilets?

#319

Post by studio35 »

Osmium wrote: post #67

How does one go about cleaning these? It always seemed to me that, if the nozzle got dirty, then they could cause more problems than they solve. Especially (to quote the article) if it's spraying the "female genital area." If there's any bacteria on that nozzle, and since it's been in a toilet for any number of years I'd guess there might be, surely there'd be a risk of it causing UTIs and the like?

Ever since I tried a Toto in Japan, I've become fascinated with these bidet seats, and have since become an expert on them, after building my own bidet seat review blog and bidet seat store to resell Brondell products (which are among the top brands). I've learned that most of the top end bidet seats have complex nozzle retraction and sanitization systems. The Brondell Swash 1000 we sell has stainless steel nozzles treated with "silver oxide nano particles" that resist bacteria, and most models have systems that rinse the nozzle before and after each use. The nozzles typically retract when not in use so that they're not in the line of fire of human waste.
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