Once upon a WASHLET

Japan’s popular high-tech toilet is finally making its way into other parts of Asia

Japan has a well-earned reputation for immaculate cleanliness, technological innovation and seamless design. Tokyo in particular maintains high levels of hygiene and efficiency despite its dense population. The Japanese are ceaseless innovators and they continue to pioneer new ideas, even in the most unlikely places – such as the bathroom. Hands down, Japan has the best toilets. Renowned for its high-tech functions, this remarkable toilet is referred to as a Washlet.

The Washlet was ranked one of the “50 Things We Love About Asia” in an article in Business Traveller Asia-Pacific’s July/August issue last year. The Washlet is an electronic toilet seat with a bidet water-spraying function that is mounted onto the bowl of a standard toilet. It was invented by Japanese sanitary ware company, TOTO – a brand that has become synonymous with the advancement of bathroom culture since its founding in 1917. The term “Washlet” was derived from the phrase, “let’s wash,” and first debuted in 1980. Given Japan’s fondness for innovation, cleanliness and design, Washlets quickly became a beloved, indispensable amenity in Japan. You can now find them in the majority of Japanese households, hotels, department stores and airports.

With the creation of the Washlet, TOTO transformed the act of going to the bathroom from an inconvenience to an enjoyable experience. The Washlet offers an array of services that cleans and refreshes in a way that normal toilets are incapable of accomplishing. The Washlet is equipped with a motion-sensor that allows the cover to open and close automatically. The comforting heated seat includes an automated deodoriser that filters the air during use. The bidet nozzle sprays a stimulating stream of warm water that offers a variety of options ranging from a gentle to powerful flow, to an oscillating and pulsating stream of water that thoroughly cleanses and invigorates. The result is a feeling of freshness that you can hardly live without. All of these features can be accessed and adjusted to your liking by using the remote control. On top of that, an antibacterial spray sterilises the bowl and nozzle after every use. TOTO’s newest model harnesses the power of light and photocatalysts for a brilliant self-cleaning function.

Thankfully, the days when you have to travel all the way to Japan to experience this luxurious device are behind us. In the past few years, the many convenient features that the Washlet has to offer have led to a sharp increase in its popularity throughout Asia. In fact, it has become more common for travellers to specifically request a hotel room with a Washlet installed. To meet this increase in demand, there has been a rising trend for luxury hotels in Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, China and India to install high-tech toilet seats. New hotels are placing Washlets in their guest rooms, while established hotels are replacing standard toilets with high-tech seats. Even airlines such as All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL) are installing Washlets into the business-class cabins of their newest aircraft.

Keep an eye out for what’s next in the developing story of the Washlet and its increased prevalence in bathrooms throughout Asia.

Tokyo Skytree