Engineering consumer technology: Royal flush

Japan’s electronic toilets are something of a cultural touchstone for the rest of world. They embody the country’s forward-thinking, futuristic society, as well as its deep respect for water and ritual ablution, rooted in the Japanese ethnic religion of Shinto. For many in the west, these high-tech toilets are as quintessentially Japanese as sushi or karaoke. Yet the concept did not originate there.

The first toilets with integrated bidet or ‘shower’ features appeared in the US in the 1960s. These were non-electronic devices that sprayed water at ambient temperatures and were largely used in hospitals. It was not until Japanese toilet manufacturer Toto took up the baton that the concept truly took off and made its way into domestic bathrooms.

Toto’s first Washlet product was released in 1980 – an attachable electronic toilet seat with integrated rear washing, drying and heating functions. In 2019 the company celebrated its 50 millionth global sale. In the intervening years, the term ‘washlet’ has been genericised in Japan, becoming synonymous with ‘shower toilet’ in much the same way that ‘hoover’ has with vacuum cleaners in the UK.