Please remember that I'm easily entertained and have little better than an adolecent humor rating!

Japanese public toilets are always interesting. You never know what you are going to get. It could be the oldest on record, a little more than a porcelain hole in the floor or a technological marvel that seems like you could send your butt to the moon!

Let's start with your old style toilet-


Suffice it to say that you plant a foot on either side, squat, get all your clothing out of the way, and hold on to those pipes for dear life.

Lets move to your basic home toilet-


Now you might be saying "T1, that doesn't look much different. Oh, is that a fuzzy toilet seat? Would I ever want to put my rump on the same towel as the rest of the family?" Au countraire, mon aime, you would like to put your rump on this because its HEATED! Japan is very cold in the winter and it is too cold for your bare heiny. You will thank who ever thought this little miracle up! (see the little cord to plug it in on the left?) . Even houses without the electric seat at least purchase the terry cloth covers so their butts won't ice on to the seats.

You can't see it but the Japanese built one more thing into this little gem: the top of the toilet lid is the sink! Instead of wasting space in the bathroom, they pipe the fill water (perfectly pure) outside the tank to pour through an opening in the top. So, voila, when you flush, you can wash your hands too (but not in the winter, its far too cold. I'll be heading to the sink in the other room.)

Now let's see one of the technological marvels. Here it is in the show room (Note the remote control. How much fun could you have with that!?-



Lets take a closer look at a real one. Here a close-up of the control arm on your public toilet-


Orange button - Stop - This scares me why would I have to tell a toilet to stop?
Lavender button - Warm Air - At least I hope its warm air to dry your heiny, I'm pretty sure it is, but I can't read it
Pink button - water - Yes, to wash your heiny but its pretty strong and not too warm. It is not pretty to jump off the toilet and duck for cover when you can't stop it (maybe that's what stop is for!) Not that moi has ever done that.
Green button - flushing sound - This is for your shy pee'r. Notice that you can even adjust the volume! It sounds like a damn river is beside you at full volume (not that I would know first hand)

We have to move in for a closer look now-


And last but not least. You can set the water pressure. Why? I'm not sure, I ran.