Toilets in Japan
There are three types of toilets in use in Japan . The oldest form is the squat toilet , which is still common in public lavatories . After the Second World War , western water closets and urinals became more widespread. In recent times, technical progress has enabled the development of shower toilets called washlets ( Japaneseウ ォ シ ュ レ ッ ト), a brand name of Toto KK from Kitakyūshū . These toilets can perform many technical functions that are rarely found outside of Japan. As a rule, the toilet seat is heated to body temperature (with the undesirable side effect that germs can multiply quickly), the water temperature and pressure of the bidet function can be selected and the toilet seat has an odor-filtering fan, and less often the basin itself has an air extraction device. These bidetto toilets can now be found in more than half of all households.
story
The oldest sewer systems in Japan date from the Yayoi period (300 BC to 250 AD) and were probably built in connection with toilet facilities in larger settlements. For the later Nara period (710-784) the establishment of a sewage system for the then capital of Japan Heijō-kyō ( Nara ) is documented. The first occupied water toilets, consisting of a 10 to 15 cm wide stream, which was used in a similar way to the modern squat toilet, also date from this time. Wooden toilet paper has also been preserved from this period . Furthermore, overbuildings of open latrine pits were used as toilets, similar to today's “pit toilets”.
For self-cleaning served initially seaweed until the Edo period , the (1603 to 1868) Toilet paper was introduced that one time out of the traditional Washi - paper produced. Wooden scrapers and plant leaves were also used in mountainous regions.
Toilets were often built over running water in order to easily remove the faeces . However, latrine pits were more common because they were easier to build and allowed the excrement to be used as fertilizer . This advantage was important because, as a result of Buddhism associated with vegetarianism , livestock farming was not practiced on a large scale and thus liquid manure or slurry as a source of fertilizer was largely eliminated. This practice contributed significantly to the hygiene standards in ancient Japan, which were much better than in Europe at the time , where rubbish was often simply thrown on the streets. After the Second World War, chemical fertilizers became widespread. Nonetheless, traditional methods are still occasionally used today. In Okinawa , toilets were often attached to pig pens. This custom ended after World War II.
In the Azuchi Momoyama period (1568–1600) the taiko canal was built around Osaka Castle , which is still in operation today. The use of modern sewer systems began in 1884 with the construction of the first masonry sewer system in Kanda, Tokyo . After the Great Kanto earthquake , further sewers were installed to prevent epidemics after earthquakes. Large-scale sewage systems weren't introduced until after World War II to meet the needs of rapidly growing metropolitan areas. In 2000, 60% of the population was connected to the public sewage network.
Western toilets and urinals first appeared in Japan at the beginning of the 20th century. However, they only became more widespread under the US occupation after 1945. As early as 1977, sales of western toilets finally exceeded those of traditional squat toilets . On the basis of Swiss and American technology, the Toto company developed the so-called Washlet in 1980 , and Japanese companies are still leaders in the manufacture of technically advanced toilet systems.
terminology
In Japanese there are several expressions for toilets or the rooms in which they are set up. The most common word is Toire (ト イ レ), an abbreviation of Toiretto (ト イ レ ッ ト), which is borrowed from the English toilet . Just like the word “toilet” in German , both terms can designate both the toilet itself and the toilet room. Among the many other names for toilet rooms, Otearai (お 手洗 い, literally “hand washing”) is probably the most common, a loan translation of the English lavatory . In a narrower sense, this expression relates to the washbasin and thus has a similar euphemistic function to the American bathroom .
Another Anglicism that has not generally caught on is the word resutorūm (レ ス ト ル ー ム, from English restroom ). The expression Benjo (便 所, literally "Excrement place") is not used in public transport, but rather in the private sector and mostly by men. A common inscription on signs that indicate toilets in public is Keshōshitsu (化粧室, literally "make-up room"), often in connection with a pictogram . There are a number of other expressions, such as Kawaya (厠) or Habakari (憚 り), but these are mostly rarely used or out of date.
The toilet itself, i.e. the bowl, the water tank, etc., is called Benki (便器, literally "excrement device "). The toilet seat is the Benza (便 座, "excrement seat"). Potties and bowls for children, the elderly or the sick are referred to as Omaru (sometimes spelling御 虎子).
The unofficial "Toilet Day" of the Japan Toilet Association (JTA) is November 10th, because in Japan the numbers 11 and 10 can be read together as Ii To (ire) , which also means "good toilet". The Japanese "Sewage Day" is September 10th. JTA Chairman Hideo Nishioka has a collection of over 400 types of toilet paper from around the world.
Toilet types
Squat toilets
The traditional Japanese toilet shape (Japanese和 式 Washiki ) is the squat toilet , which is widespread in this form in all of Asia and is therefore also called "Asian toilet". There are major differences in design and use to western (sitting) toilets and also to western squat toilets.
A Japanese squat toilet resembles a small urinal that is recessed in the floor. Most are made of porcelain , although in some cases, such as B. in trains, stainless steel is used. The flushing mechanism, which is similar to that of conventional toilets, then conveys the excrement through a drain into a reservoir , the contents of which are emptied and disposed of in the sewer system. Flushing is usually triggered by hand with levers etc., occasionally also with a pedal. Many Japanese toilets are equipped with two flush types to save water: “small” (小) and “large” (大).
Two variations are common: one has the toilet level with the floor, and the other is set in on a pedestal about 30 cm high, which makes it easier for men to urinate in it while standing. However, both shapes are also suitable for use for defecation : instead of sitting, the user crouches with his face towards the semicircular raised end of the bowl. It is important to maintain body balance during the process. Handles are often attached to help the user maintain balance .
An advantage of this type of toilet is the ease with which it can be cleaned . Because of its simple design, a squat toilet can be cleaned with a mop . In addition, they are cheaper to manufacture and use less water than their western counterparts.
Squat toilets often give the feeling of a hygiene advantage , as the user has no body contact with a toilet seat (although from a medical point of view toilet seats usually pose no risk). For women in particular , squat toilets should also train the pelvic floor muscles and thereby prevent incontinence . Allegedly they also strengthen the hip muscles, improve breathing and the ability to concentrate, and the posture is said to facilitate the removal of excrement.
A rare form of the Japanese squat toilet is a hybrid that has an adjustable seat so that the toilet can be used sitting or standing depending on the setting. These facilities are found almost exclusively in rural areas.
Traditional Japanese toilets are clad with wood rather than tiles, so they have a darker light. In his essay In Praise of the Shade, the writer Jun'ichirō Tanizaki placed the importance of the Japanese toilet above that of the tea room, as it is a place where the body can find rest. To underline this harmony created by the darkness, he suggested lacquered wooden toilets.
Western toilets
The toilet, which occurs mainly in the west, is known in Japan as "toilet of the western kind" (洋式 ト イ レ yōshiki toire ). This design is most common today, along with high-tech toilets, in private households . While most public facilities such as schools, temples and train stations are often only equipped with squat toilets, the Japanese prefer the sit-down toilet privately - especially older people, for whom crouching and balancing in squat toilets is too strenuous. In some older Japanese bathrooms there is still a sticker that illustrates the correct use of western toilets. This dates back to the time when western sit-down toilets were not yet widely known.
Japanese washlets
The modern toilet in Japan based on the shower toilet principle , known there as a washlet (ウ ォ シ ュ レ ッ ト) or "toilet seat with hot water cleaning" (温水 洗浄 便 座Onsui Senjō Benza ), is the most developed toilet type in the world and has a wide range of functions. The Toto Washlet Zoe is in the Guinness Book of Records as the most functional toilet. However, this model is from 1997 and has therefore probably been overtaken by the latest model Neorest .
In Japan, the era of high-tech toilets began in 1980 with the introduction of the Washlet G series by Toto. It was originally based on an invention by the Swiss Hans Maurer, who invented the shower toilet under the name Closomat in 1957 and introduced it to the (European) market. The name Washlet became a generic term for all later Japanese bidetto toilets. Before the Washlet G was launched, it was believed that few people would be willing to spend more money on something they could do by hand. In 1990 only 10% of the Japanese had bought one. That view changed when it became clear that the concept was working - and with surprisingly good results. In 2002, over half of Japanese households had such a toilet, making the Washlet more common than the home computer .
While the toilet hardly differs from a conventional western-style toilet at first glance, it contains a multitude of functions such as odor extraction, hot air blower, seat heating , massage function , adjustable water jets, automatic lid opener, automatic flushing, radio controls, heating and air conditioning, etc. are integrated either in the toilet or in the toilet seat . It is operated using a separate control that is attached to the side of the toilet or on the wall and often communicates with the toilet via infrared .
The basic equipment includes the bidet function, a nozzle the size of a pencil that protrudes from under the toilet seat and sprays water. It has two settings, one for anal cleaning (so-called "rear cleaning", "general use" or "family cleaning") and another for intimate hygiene for women ("female lingerie"). The nozzle does not touch the user's body and has a self-cleaning function that is activated before and after each use. The cleaning function itself is triggered by a button on the control element, whereby both possible processes take place through the same nozzle. The jet orientation is accomplished by changing the orientation of the nozzle head and directing the jet through a different opening in the nozzle to hit the correct location. Occasionally there are also two nozzles.
In some models, the automatic system is connected to a contact switch on the toilet seat, so that the injection mechanism can only be triggered when pressure is exerted on the seat, i.e. when someone is sitting on it.
Most high-tech toilets have the option of regulating the water pressure of the cleaning jet according to individual requirements. By default, the anal cleaning is done with higher pressure than the intimate cleaning. The water temperature can usually also be regulated. Japanese researchers have found that the preferred jetting temperature just above the body temperature is - approximately at 38 ° C . The nozzle position can also be changed manually. Top models even offer vibrating and pulsating water jets, which the manufacturers claim to be effective against constipation and hemorrhoids . The latest types can even mix soap in the water jet for better cleaning results.
Another widespread function is the hot air blower, usually variable between 40 and 60 ° C, in order to dry the body regions cleaned with the water jet. In addition, there are often room deodorizers, germ-destroying surfaces and sensor-supported automatic lid opening systems that open the toilet lid automatically and / or close it again (soft close) .
The Washlet can completely replace the toilet paper. Nevertheless, many users tend to supplement hygiene with the mechanical or drying effect of paper. This also depends on the part of the body to be cleaned. Paper is also sometimes used before water purification.
The toilet seat heater is also a basic function and is also offered separately, as a toilet seat without an integrated bidet. In contrast to western households, central heating is not very common in Japan and the thermal insulation is poor, so that the separate toilet room can get very cold, especially in winter .
Models for the elderly are equipped with armrests and help the user to get up again after the procedure. The latest innovation is an ozone deodorizer that quickly eliminates any odors. Current models have a memory that records the usage times, energy-saving functions of the toilet seat heater, or air conditioning for hot summer days. Some models glow in the dark.
Matsushita planned to introduce medical sensors that can use urine to detect elevated blood sugar levels , as well as display pulse, blood pressure and body fat percentage . The viscosity values of the stool and occult blood should also be recorded by sensors. The data obtained should then be sent to the family doctor using an internet-enabled mobile phone . However, these facilities are still very rare, even in Japan, and it is currently difficult to assess their success in the market. A toilet with voice control is under development. Toto, Inax, NAIS and other manufacturers also offer portable, battery-operated washlets that must be filled with warm water before use.
Urinals
Japanese urinals and pee channels are similar to those in the rest of the world and are also mainly used in public men's toilets with a large number of people.
Before and during the Meiji period , urinals were used by both men and women. Traditionally, kimonos are worn without underwear , so that women could easily lift their kimono and aim the urine into a urinal by gently pulling on the vulva . The women were thus able to urinate standing forward. This custom disappeared in the 20th century after western clothing became popular among most women. Nowadays, kimonos are almost always worn with underwear. The female urinal experienced a renaissance between 1951 and 1968. These devices were shaped like a cone and attached to the floor. However, they did not prevail, so that only a few women's urinals can be seen today, for example under the national stadium, which was built for the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Another form are interactive urinals, which combine urinals and video games, such as the Sega Toylet .
accesories
In Japan, similar accessories are used as in the West, i.e. toilet paper, toilet brushes , etc. In addition, however, there are also some specific accessories that are rarely found outside of Japan.
"Noise Princess"
Many Japanese women are uncomfortable with the idea that someone might hear them making noises while using the toilet. In order to mask the noises made by their bodily functions, it was therefore common for many women to continuously flush the toilet while doing this . Large amounts of water were wasted as a result. Since awareness-raising campaigns had no effect, a device was introduced in the 1980s that imitated the sound of flushing water, thus making actual flushing superfluous simply to mask out the noise. A well-known brand name is Otohime (音 姫), which literally means "sound princess", after the Japanese goddess of the same name (the name of the goddess is actually written with the Kanji 乙 姫), the beautiful daughter of the sea king Ryūjin . This device is now installed as standard in most new public toilets, and many older systems have been retrofitted so that the device is now found in almost all public toilets in Japan. The Otohime is available as a separate wall unit or as an integrated washlet function.
It is activated by pressing a button or waving your hand in front of a sensor. The device then makes a loud, rustling noise similar to that of flushing the toilet . Playback is ended either by pressing the button again or by lapse of a specified time. It is estimated that this saves around 20 liters of water per operation.
Still, some women believe the otohime sounds too artificial and continue to prefer continuous flushing. So far, there has hardly been any demand for “noise princesses” in men's toilets, so they are almost never found there.
Toilet slippers
The Japanese tend to divide their lives into clean and impure areas, the points of contact between the latter area are kept as small as possible. For example, the inside of the home is considered clean while the outside is unclean. In order to maintain the division, the shoes are removed when entering an apartment so that the unclean shoes do not touch the clean area.
Historically, toilets were outside the home and shoes were worn when going to the toilet. Today they are inside the apartment and the hygienic situation has improved significantly. However, the toilet is still considered an unclean area. To minimize the contact between the unclean floor in the toilet and the clean floor in the rest of the house, many households and some public toilets have slippers in front of the entrance, which are put on before entering and taken off immediately after leaving. At the same time, it shows whether the toilet is currently occupied.
The design of the slippers ranges from simple rubber slippers to manga- printed children's slippers to expensive fur slippers. A common faux pas that foreigners commit is not to take off the toilet slippers immediately, but to walk around the apartment with them. On the other hand, even some Japanese ignore the toilet slippers.
In 2003, a mail-order company began to offer slippers on the market that can be "entered" from both sides. This makes it possible to leave the slippers without any major acrobatics when leaving the sometimes extremely narrow toilets so that the next visitor will find them in the correct position when entering the toilet. These slippers were originally just a joke product from the Chindogu movement. When they were actually used for practical purposes, they immediately lost their Chindogu status.
Cisterns
Many toilets have a special system for saving water: a tap and a small washbasin are placed on the cistern lid so that the water that is used to wash your hands can be used to fill the toilet box.
Public toilets
Public toilets are easy to find in Japan and you rarely have to search when you feel a need. Department stores, supermarkets, most grocery stores, many 24-hour shops ( conbini ), bookstores, music stores, parks, almost all motorway service stations, train stations (mostly in the "paid" area behind the barrier) and other public facilities are equipped. Overall, access is significantly better than in Europe, where you usually have to pay, or in the USA, where public toilets are usually difficult to find. Apart from graffiti , vandalism is very rare. The toilets are generally much better maintained than in Europe. Efforts have been made since the 1990s to make these places more welcoming. The rooms have become larger and brighter, the sanitary facilities have been upgraded with newer technology and large mirrors have been hung up. Even the buildings that house it have been redesigned to look more appealing.
Most public toilets consist of one or more squat toilets. An increasing number of public lavatories are also equipped with toilets. Many train station toilets as well as public schools still only offer traditional Japanese squat toilets. The same goes for trains, parks, temples, traditional restaurants, and older buildings. The less hygienic (because body contact makes inevitable) sit-down toilets can usually be found on the basis of signs with Yōshiki (洋式), the English Western style or the corresponding pictogram. Also disabled toilets are always Western-style toilets.
Cultural aspects
The perception of hygiene has generally developed differently around the world, depending on the general availability of water. In addition, in highly developed consumer societies, expectations of comfort that go far beyond the minimum have developed. Japan is the model country for this, although the high standards are by no means to be found in every house. Cleanliness is a very important factor in Japan, which is shown by the fact that some words in the Japanese language such as Kirei (奇麗 き れ い) can mean both “clean” and “beautiful”. This may explain both the continued success of the squat toilets with their relative hygiene advantage and the popularity of the Washlet multifunctional toilets. Proctologist Hiroshi Ojima suggests that washlets owe their popularity in part to the low-fiber diets of the Japanese, which can lead to digestive problems.
The often crowded living conditions in Japanese cities and the lack of lockable rooms in traditional Japanese living make the toilet an ideal place of retreat. In some there are book shelves or newspapers, even posters. Nevertheless, if possible, the toilet will always be separated from the bathroom. This is again related to the separation of "clean" and "impure" and is a fact that z. B. is mentioned in housing advertisements.
Strangers often have problems with the Japanese toilets. The Washlets in particular, who are almost completely unknown abroad, occasionally administer surprising splashes of water to uninformed users who are looking for the rinse. For this reason, in order to reduce the culture shock, English-language operating instructions have been displayed or keys have been labeled in English.
Plumbing industry
Toto is the world's largest manufacturer of toilets with bidet function and washlets. Competitors in the market are Inax, NAIS, Panasonic and Toshiba .
The global market for high-tech toilets in 1997 was about 800 million US dollars . Toto covers around half of this, followed by Inax with 25%. Japan continues to be the single most important market for Washlets - overseas customers only make up 5% of sales. The most important non-Japanese market is China , where more than a million Washlets are sold every year. In contrast, only around 1,000 units per month were sold in the USA in 2003, which nevertheless corresponds to an increase of around 70% compared to 2001. Europe is dominated by the Switzerland-based company Geberit , Toto only sells around 5000 Washlets per year.
Most Europeans consider the Japanese washlets to be a curiosity. But here, too, interest is growing. This is mainly due to the special benefit for physically handicapped people. The self-cleaning with the help of the water jet and the hot air blower can also be carried out by those who have difficulties with the conventional method. This eliminates the need for someone else to do the job.
See also
literature
- Innovative product concepts - the high-tech toilet from Toto. Advisory letter, 12/2002 (Nov.). ISSN 1726-6793
- Making Great Breakthroughs - All about the Sewage Works in Japan. Japan Sewage Works Association, Tokyo 2002, p. 47ff. (English)
- Mark Magnier: Japan Is Flush With Obsession . Los Angeles Times. 1999 (English). ISSN 0458-3035
- Christine Dimmer, Brian Martin: Squatting for the Prevention of Hemorrhoids? . In: Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients. Jonathan Collins, Port Townsend WA 1996, 159 (Oct), pp. 66-70 (English). ISSN 1059-5864
- James Brooke: Japanese Masters Get Closer to the Toilet Nirvana . The New York Times. New York 2002 (October 8) (English). ISSN 0362-4331
- Daniel McGinn: The King of Thrones. Wired Magazine. Condé Nast Publ., Boulder (Colorado) 2005, 3/13 (March) (English). ISSN 1059-1028
Web links
- Japanese sewer history and modern technology (English)
- Health benefits of the squat toilet: English original / German translation
- The Japanese Toilet Association (Japanese)
- Blog Article The "hand washing place"
- The Culture Behind Japanese Toilets (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Justin Hall: Japan: Toilets . Retrieved October 30, 2006 ( page no longer available , search in web archives )
- ↑ a b c d e Japanese toilets . Japan-Guide.com. Retrieved October 30, 2006.
- ↑ a b c d High-Tech Toilets . In: Web Japan . July. Retrieved November 5, 2006.
- ↑ a b c d e f James Brooke: Japanese Masters Get Closer to the Toilet Nirvana . In: The New York Times , October 8, 2002. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved November 5, 2006.
- ↑ a b c d e Reuters, Tokyo: US, Europe unready for super-toilets, but Japan is patient . In: Taipei Times , September 28, 2003. Retrieved November 8, 2006.
- ^ Sewer History: Photos and Graphics: Japan . Retrieved October 30, 2006.
- ^ Making Great Breakthroughs: All about the Sewage Works in Japan . Japan Sewage Works Association. P. 47. Approx. 2002. Retrieved October 30, 2006.
- ↑ a b Akira Matsui, Masaaki Kanehara, Masako Kanehara: Palaeoparasitology in Japan - Discovery of toilet features . (pdf) In: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (ed.): Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz . 98, No. 1, Rio de Janeiro, 2003, ISSN 0074-0276 , pp. 127-136. doi : 10.1590 / S0074-02762003000900019 . Retrieved November 5, 2006.
- ↑ INVITATION The Heijo Palace Site Museum. (PDF) Nara Palace Site, p. 16 , archived from the original on September 28, 2011 ; accessed on November 18, 2014 (13 Toilet ト イ レ).
- ↑ a b c Mark Magnier: Japan Is Flush With Obsession . Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on October 30, 2006. Retrieved October 30, 2006.
- ↑ What is "washi" and why is it used in Japanese toilet paper? . Toilet Paper World. Archived from the original on May 15, 2008. Retrieved October 30, 2006.
- ^ Eva Pietzcker: Japanese Papermaking - Kami-suki . Berlin printing point. 2004. Retrieved October 30, 2006.
- ^ The History of Toilets in Japan . Web Japan. Archived from the original on January 1, 2007. Retrieved October 30, 2006.
- ↑ Masao Ukita and Hiroshi Nakanishi: Pollutant Load Analysis for the Environmental Management of Enclosed Sea in Japan (PDF; 307 kB) p. 122. 1999. Archived from the original on November 9, 2006. Retrieved October 30, 2006.
- ↑ Junko Edahiro, Hiroyuki Tada: Japan's sustainable society in the Edo period (1603–1867) Archived from the original on July 20, 2008. In: Japan for Sustainability . March 31, 2003. Retrieved November 7, 2006.
- ↑ Tracking Down the Roots Chronology: Japan . Retrieved October 30, 2006.
- ↑ a b c d e Mary Jordan, Kevin Sullivan: But Do They Flush? Japan's High-Tech Toilets Do Nearly Everything, Even Redden Faces , The Washington Post. May 15, 1997. Retrieved November 7, 2006.
- ^ A b Alan Bellows: Modern Movements in Toilet Technology . In: Damn Interesting , January 2, 2006. Retrieved November 8, 2006.
- ↑ Takashi Ichikawa: Sanseidō New Modern Dictionary (Japanese:三省 堂 現代 新 国語 辞典, Sanseidō Gendai Shinkokugo Jiten) . Sanseidō, Tokyo, Japan 1998, ISBN 4-385-14034-0 .
- ↑ The Japanese Toilet . In: The Japanese Page . May 2001 ( thejapanesepage.com [accessed November 7, 2006]).
- ↑ Japan Toilet Association. Retrieved November 7, 2007 (Japanese).
- ↑ Lim Tai Wei: A Study of Japanese Toilets . Archived from the original on March 11, 2008. Retrieved October 30, 2006.
- ↑ Living in Japan - Toilet . Japanguide.com. Retrieved November 8, 2006.
- ^ A Brief Guide to Daily Life in Japan . Archived from the original on January 3, 2007. Retrieved October 30, 2006.
- ^ Health Benefits of the Natural Squatting Position . In: Nature's Platform . July. Retrieved November 5, 2006.
- ↑ a b Lim Tai Wei: A Study of Japanese Toilets Archived from the original on March 11, 2008. In: World Toilet Organization . 2002. Retrieved November 7, 2006.
- ↑ Jacobs EJ, White E: Constipation, laxative use, and colon cancer among middle-aged adults . In: Epidemiology . 9, No. 4, July 1998, pp. 385-91. PMID 9647901 .
- ↑ Christine Dimmer, Brian Martin, Noeline Reeves and Frances Sullivan: Squatting for the Prevention of Hemorrhoids? . (http) In: Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients . No. 159, October 1996, ISSN 1059-5864 , pp. 66-70. Retrieved November 5, 2006.
- ^ Saeed Rad, MD: Impact of Ethnic Habits on Defecographic Measurements . Archives of Iranian Medicine. Retrieved October 30, 2006.
- ↑ , Julie Parsons [1995] "You call this a toilet ?!" And Other Oddities of Japanese Housing . In: Iwate Pre-Departure Handbook . Archived from the original on April 16, 2012 (Retrieved November 8, 2006).
- ↑ ス ワ レ ッ ト (Swaret) ( Japanese ) In: Online catalog . TOTO. Archived from the original on July 19, 2006. Retrieved on December 3, 2006.
- ↑ Tanizaki Jun'ichiro: Lob des Schattens, Manesse, 2010, ISBN 978-3-7175-4082-3 , pp. 12-15
- ^ Fitzpatrick, M .: Japanese offer the world hi-tech toilet training. (English) . In: Daily Telegraph , May 14, 1998, pp. 8-9.
- ↑ a b Sapa: Sound Princess eliminates toilet noises (Memento from January 13, 2014 in the Internet Archive) (http), IOL. October 4, 2004. Retrieved November 5, 2006.
- ^ Perfecting the Washlet . Web Japan. Archived from the original on September 15, 2006. Retrieved October 30, 2006.
- ↑ M. Ojima, Y. Toshima, E. Koya, K. Ara, S. Kawai, N. Ueda: Bacterial contamination of Japanese households and related concern about sanitation . In: International Journal of Environmental Health Research . 12, No. 1, March 1, 2002, pp. 41-52. doi : 10.1080 / 09603120120110040 .
- ↑ Japanese customs for foreigners - part 1: toilet slippers , Genki Japanese and Culture School. Retrieved November 13, 2006.
- ↑ Doug Jardine: What's with toilet slippers? . September 5, 2006. Archived from the original on January 8, 2009. Retrieved on November 13, 2006.
- ↑ Anne R. Lavin: Origami Tanteidan Convention - The Gaijin Guide: Weather & Clothing . Retrieved November 13, 2006.
- ↑ Mark Magnier: Japan Is Flush With Obsession. In: Los Angeles Times. December 3, 1999, p. 2 , accessed July 18, 2010 .
- ^ Gregg Mann: Tokyo Apartments . Retrieved November 13, 2006.
- ↑ Telegraph
