How to use Japanese smart toilets

[Explorer]

They are small sanctuaries of peace where people can purify mind and body. Everyone often goes there, but not everyone knows how to get the most out of them. I'm talking about Japanese smart toilets. If you are visiting the country for the first time, you may feel intimidated by these marvels of technology. But don't panic! You are about to discover all their secrets.

Take your notepad. It's time to learn some useful vocabulary.

Command	Meaning
止 (と)	Stop
おしり	Spray
ビデ	Feminine Spray
リスム	Rhythm
流す (ながす)	Flush
水温度 (すいおんど)	Water temperature
水勢 (すいせい)	Water pressure
強 (きょう)	Strong
弱 (じゃく)	Soft
乾燥 (かんそう)	Dryer

[Explorer]

Extra content: a Japanese toilet going crazy due to a bad command. The rebellion of the machines.

[kurokumo]

Fun thing, there are buttocks on the button for "spray", and kana おしり says "buttocks" too. ^_^

[Madame Sensei]

Ah, I remember how freaked out I was the first time I saw an electrical cord coming out of the bottom of a toilet. I was like, "Isn't there water in this thing?? Isn't this dangerous??"

I hold the toilet up (okay, not literally) as an example of how Japan will often take a concept or technology from elsewhere and improve upon it.

[Madame Sensei]

Extra content: a Japanese toilet going crazy due to a bad command. The rebellion of the machines.

Is this your picture, Explorer? I would like to show it to my students, and I want to give proper credit.

[Explorer]

Is this your picture, Explorer? I would like to show it to my students, and I want to give proper credit.

Of course you can show it to your students. It's a royalty free picture

[McGonnagle]

In Japan, women used to mask the sound of using the toilet in public restrooms by repeatedly flushing the water, because they felt embarrassed about others hearing the noise. This practice consumed a significant amount of water.

To solve this problem, TOTO developed a device called Otohime—literally meaning “Sound Princess.” It produces a flushing sound without using water, allowing users to mask bodily sounds. It began to be widely installed in the late 1980s to early 1990s. Today, it is found not only in public restrooms but also in private homes.　　

Honestly, now all you need is your phone—just put on some music and voilà!

[John Little]

Blimey! You need a science degree to poo?

But, whatever you do, DO NOT PRESS THE RED BUTTON!!!!!

[Vlot Vlaams]

In Japan, women used to mask the sound of using the toilet in public restrooms by repeatedly flushing the water, because they felt embarrassed about others hearing the noise. This practice consumed a significant amount of water.

It may help in Japan.

Not sure for China where public restrooms (especially older or more basic facilities) often lack stall doors or partitions, Particularly in some rural areas or older buildings. In such cases, a sound-masking feature wouldn’t be effective because privacy is limited anyway. Our visitors - coming to Europe - just left the doors open, and asked what they were intended for (but being regular business travellers they did know, of course, just didn't feel the need to close them to our surprise)

[Explorer]

I've heard that some people blast music so nobody hears them while they're doing their business. It must be funny to walk into a public restroom and hear Beethoven's 5th symphony coming out of a toilet stall. Anyway, there are some sounds that no music or flushing water can mask.

[johnw]

Anyway, there are some sounds that no music or flushing water can mask.

Really? Now I am getting curious!