Blog du Wren

Turlets of Japan

I've heard stories of the crazy turlets* in Japan and how they analyze your pee to make sure you are getting enough iron and tell you all sorts of fables to inspire you to do your best in there. Well, I haven't found any that do any of that, but I have found a few difference that are kind of interesting.

First, the picture at right* is of a fancy turlet they've had at the last couple hostels I've stayed. There is a built in bidet, deoderizer, flushing sounds that cover up "bathroom noises", and more. It is all a little fancy for me, but some people dig it. The one thing that I don't like about these toilets (besides the fact that they are overkill and use energy needlessly) is the heated seat that I haven't figured out how to turn off. My butt produces plenty of its own heat, thank you very much.

Second is the ubitquitous . They were all over SE Asia and China when I was there a couple years ago but I don't think I ever got a proper picture of one. It is rare to find them in the fancy places in Japan, but this one was in a small park that was definitely off the beaten path. Again, they don't quite do it for me, but some people love them.

Finally, perhaps the best turlet invention I've seen in Japan, is the hand washing station to the toilet. The water that goes to fill the toilet tank first comes through a faucet so you can use it to wash your hands. Genius, I say! They make most sense in public washrooms that will be flushed every use*. As an added benefit of saving water by providing it for hand washing, it goes to demonstrate how much water is used by each flush of a toilet. The first time I used it, I frantically looked around for the off switch because I had finished washing my hands and it killed me to see the faucet still running. Then I realized it was okay. My only critique of this particular turlet is that enthusiastic handwashing can leave water on the back of the toilet seat, which is never pleasant for the next person to us.

Yep, culture, food, and beautiful sights are not all that catch my eye when traveling. Some things just can't help but be noticed.

Friday March 20 2009

File under: travel, Japan

Toggle Comments (9)

comment?

on Fri 20th Mar, 2009 06:31 pm PDT Ryan said:
I like how you took a sneaky photo inside the ladies restroom.
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on Fri 20th Mar, 2009 07:16 pm PDT Saxtor said:
Hmmm, Ryan. I'm not sure which photo you're talking about. Both the Washlet toilet seat, with it's *ahem* multidirectional spray apparatus and the squatty potty are unisex turlet devices. And both quite brilliant to boot. You can expect to find both (as well as the wonderful egg-shaped Japanese urinals) if I ever such a say in the bathroom fixtures of a living space.
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on Fri 20th Mar, 2009 07:29 pm PDT Nesbitt said:
While the heated seat may waist energy in some situations, I found that it saved energy in the winter in Japanese houses that are usually only heated in the room that you are using. Thus, in the dead of winter a heated seat in a non-heated bathroom is quite nice.
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on Fri 20th Mar, 2009 11:50 pm PDT per said:
The squatty potty scored quite a bit of design appreciation on my part when it comes to doing yer business. Not many other turlets will free yer bum from any unsightly mess on the rim or the random pube in need a dainty swab. Squatty potty, you have my heart.
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on Sat 21st Mar, 2009 08:23 pm PDT Sean said:
True conservers know that if it's brown, let it hang around
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on Mon 23rd Mar, 2009 12:21 am PDT Joe said:
lol is that spray button icon a butt or boobs? haha...I don't agree with the heated seat. I like the comfort of the cold seat, because I don't wanna think about the butt that was just sitting where I am now. When I moved into that house in Anacortes, where my grandma lived prior, she had a soft cushioned toilet seat, and it was always warm when you'd sit down. oh i hated that, it had to go immediately.
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on Mon 23rd Mar, 2009 12:21 am PDT Joe said:
lol is that spray button icon a butt or boobs? haha...I don't agree with the heated seat. I like the comfort of the cold seat, because I don't wanna think about the butt that was just sitting where I am now. When I moved into that house in Anacortes, where my grandma lived prior, she had a soft cushioned toilet seat, and it was always warm when you'd sit down. oh i hated that, it had to go immediately.
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on Mon 23rd Mar, 2009 12:22 am PDT Joe said:
sorry about the double post wren, clearly this site has issues ;-)
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on Mon 23rd Mar, 2009 08:15 am PDT Hope said:
We saw the bidet and the hand washer at an eco friendly home in Omaha NE. Who says we're behind (bwa ha) things in the midwest?
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