Sunday, November 30, 2008

The Art of Toilets?

BBC had an article recently about the Japanese art of... toilets. Yes that's right, toilets. These things are totally crazy... the one in the story linked weighs in at a purported $3,000USD! And this would be above and beyond the cost for the toilet itself- that's $3,000 for the seat alone.

I don't know exactly which one makes it cost that much, but some of the crazy functions for this thing include:
  • sensors that raise the lid when you approach the toilet, including a sensor that lifts the seat if you stand in front for guys
  • glow in the dark seat
  • heated seat
  • built-in bidet
  • speakers that play classical music
  • a special tank that cuts down on water usage
  • monitor to measure body/fat ratio
My favorite quote from the article?
A poem recently published by a stressed-out salary man captured their comforting appeal with haiku-like brevity. "The only warmth in my life is the toilet seat," he mourned.
The caveat to this of course is that making these thrones a reality in your own house back home is difficult, given the needs for extra plumbing and electrical outlets that most American bathrooms are not equipped with. Sigh.

No comments: