Clean and happy every day of your life
July 12, 2007 5:39 PM   Subscribe

Toto are marketing the Washlet in America. A nicely designed site without any scatological references. Possibly NSFW intro. [flash]
posted by tellurian (50 comments total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
NSFW CONTAINS BUM BUMS
posted by fleetmouse at 5:49 PM on July 12, 2007


It's about goddamn time you barbarians got a civilized toilet.
posted by nightchrome at 5:49 PM on July 12, 2007


I'll bless the "rains" down in "Africa", alright.
posted by basicchannel at 5:51 PM on July 12, 2007 [9 favorites]


a) You suck, basicchannel
b) All these years, and I thought he was saying "I guess the rain's down in Africa... "
c) I think I'm sort of in love with the "Why It's Better" SpokesGal
d) I just poo before I take a shower anyway
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 5:56 PM on July 12, 2007


damn.. I want one...
and, I've got to say, that is one nifty web interface...

I'll take two of the Washlets, and I want to date all of the women!
posted by HuronBob at 5:58 PM on July 12, 2007


Wow, this is like the 5th or 6th (US-based) news/blog website I've seen this advertised on in the last couple weeks. You can't swing a virtual arm without hitting a virtual, smiling-ass advert.

At least no graphic of the "smiley faced" butts on the 'Filter. Gawker, Salon, etc. all contained the NSFW BUM BUMS.
posted by availablelight at 6:12 PM on July 12, 2007


I bet they used tushy doubles.

(is there a job market for tushy doubles. I need work.)
posted by jonmc at 6:13 PM on July 12, 2007


They'll hold the line, so I heard...
posted by erskelyne at 6:22 PM on July 12, 2007


Holy crap. Very cool. Or hot. Whatever.
posted by cairnish at 6:32 PM on July 12, 2007


By some odd coincidence I was looking at one of these at their posh storefront shop in Soho yesterday. The salesperson invited us to come to one of their regular receptions, which she said is usually a cocktail mixer with about 150 people. I'm imagining it's a social hub for like-minded people, meaning rich or, um, some other kind of person.

Yeah, I did ask if they'd have any prune juice cocktails.
posted by StickyCarpet at 6:45 PM on July 12, 2007


I was afraid to click on any of the smiling faces... I did figure out how to play the tune of "The Golden Cockerel" on them, though.
posted by The corpse in the library at 6:51 PM on July 12, 2007 [1 favorite]


My dad and stepmom either have an older model of this or the exact same product, minus remote, from another company- they got theirs several years ago.

The fan is totally over the top, but it's basically a toilet with integrated bidet. As Samuel L. Jackson said about Snakes on a Plane- you either wanna see that shit or you don't.
posted by mkultra at 6:54 PM on July 12, 2007


Huh huh, he said "let's do." Huh huh.
posted by schoolgirl report at 7:01 PM on July 12, 2007


Figures that a company called Toto would offer the derriere cri of shitters.
posted by rob511 at 7:02 PM on July 12, 2007


Oh god I feel embarrassed for those poor models.
posted by delmoi at 7:16 PM on July 12, 2007


Hahah. "Using it couldn't be easier, you just sit down, do what you came to do, and then reach for the remote."
posted by delmoi at 7:19 PM on July 12, 2007


Metafilter: A cleansing jet of water designed to wash the anus of the user
posted by ottereroticist at 7:21 PM on July 12, 2007


Wow, this is like the 5th or 6th (US-based) news/blog website I've seen this advertised on in the last couple weeks. You can't swing a virtual arm without hitting a virtual, smiling-ass advert.

They're actually advertising on television too. I saw some of these ads at the gym the other day. I assumed it was like a teaser for some pharmaceutical or something.
posted by delmoi at 7:22 PM on July 12, 2007


"Do what you came to do" is absolutely spectacular. My hat is off to whomever came up with that. And my pants, too.
posted by The Bellman at 7:26 PM on July 12, 2007


Be careful which buttons you press. You can occasionally surprise yourself.
posted by gomichild at 7:43 PM on July 12, 2007


tushy power

I think this is on a billboard in Times Square.
posted by caddis at 8:01 PM on July 12, 2007


Poopy blue?
posted by Citizen Premier at 8:14 PM on July 12, 2007


And it can be yours (on sale) for only $650.00! Thats a savings of over $600 over its normal retail price $1,299.00. Wait.. WTF?

I'd be "happy" and "confident" too if I had nothing better to blow $650 on.
posted by jlowen at 8:14 PM on July 12, 2007


I can personally attest that the washlet is the absolute #1 way to do #2.
posted by zardoz at 8:27 PM on July 12, 2007


Well, I'm not keeping too close of a track on the brands or models, but that store in Soho's top model was around $50,000.
posted by StickyCarpet at 8:28 PM on July 12, 2007


They had toto toilets in the Narita airport. THE AIRPORT. It had a "courtesy flush sound" button which I hadn't seen on other models... man I miss japan...
posted by spec80 at 8:53 PM on July 12, 2007


Apparently, these are being installed on the new Boeing jets. I don't understand how this is sanitary on a public toilet, how does the brown-splash not get all over the nozzel and seat?

Also, when you scroll over the faces, doesn't it look like each spokesmodel is getting a cold squirt of water up the booty?
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 9:06 PM on July 12, 2007


Apparently, these are being installed on the new Boeing jets. I don't understand how this is sanitary on a public toilet, how does the brown-splash not get all over the nozzel and seat?

Gravity. Imagine a stream of water coming up at about a 45 degree angle and hitting your palm. The water will pretty much drip straight down. It's a gentle stream of water, not a fire hose. Splash is pretty minimal, if nonexistant. It doesn't get on the seat because you'll be sitting on it. All the action takes place below that. No, I don't work for Toto.
posted by zardoz at 9:13 PM on July 12, 2007


Okay, I have to admit- I sort of researched these a few months back. $650 is pricey- more than I paid for my guitar- but isn't it worth it? Isn't it worth it- to be clean and happy every day of my life?
posted by 235w103 at 9:14 PM on July 12, 2007


I think this is a great product. If it can reach that point of popularity to where real mass production kicks in, the price will drop to about $150 and practically all new homes will have them.

And I'm with Alvy, that 2nd girl is just charming. The fact she can be that alluring talking about the potty is simply amazing.

Slarty/Zardoz: as the flash demo happily explains, the wand is automatically washed/sanitized before and after each use.
posted by Ynoxas at 9:26 PM on July 12, 2007


Ynoxas these are pretty damn popular in japan and they aren't cheap there either.
posted by subtle_squid at 9:44 PM on July 12, 2007


It doesn't seem very green, which gives me pause. Sure, you're not using toilet paper anymore, but it seems like too much water, not to mention electricity.

On the other hand, my current toilet seat doesn't bring a damn bit of happiness into my life, and frankly, I see a niche that needs filling.

I also really enjoy thinking about how these people auditioned to be the spokespeople on this website, anxiously awaited callbacks, said "yesss!" when they found out they got the gig, that sort of thing.
posted by padraigin at 10:59 PM on July 12, 2007


I remember years back when Lisa Ling was still on The View (the only useful one of the damn bunch), she was away on assignment for something and was in Japan. She talked about these "magic toilet seats" that cleaned, dried, were heated, etc. I remember the tone of her voice being waaaay too happy to be just talking 'bout a toilet, you know? And I remember thinking, wow, rich people in America are totally going to to want warm jets of water and air cleaning their asses for them. Five (?) or so years later, here we are.

I basically love the fact that they are advocating finding true "happiness" through anal stimulation.
posted by SassHat at 11:01 PM on July 12, 2007 [1 favorite]


Imagine a stream of water coming up at about a 45 degree angle and hitting your palm.

I imagine a stream of water hitting my dook chute, and it feels great!
posted by jefbla at 11:08 PM on July 12, 2007


Sure, you're not using toilet paper anymore, but it seems like too much water, not to mention electricity.

It's worse than that. You still have to use some paper, to dry your parts. And to make sure you....get everything.
posted by zardoz at 11:33 PM on July 12, 2007


If it would sync with my iTunes library and take pictures of my bum, I'd probably buy it.
posted by strangeleftydoublethink at 12:29 AM on July 13, 2007


I can personally attest that the washlet is the absolute #1 way to do #2.

Or: How to have a #2: The Easy Way?
posted by Jon Mitchell at 12:42 AM on July 13, 2007


Wow is "technology" guy annoying.

Washlets are great, but America needs to know what it's like to sit down on a Warmlet and, every time, think that it's warm from someone else's bum before you remember.

And make sure your Washlet is serviced regularly, or you too may end up titling one of your journal entries "mandatory bidet".
posted by dreamsign at 1:09 AM on July 13, 2007


It's worse than that. You still have to use some paper

Of course people think technology, they think Japan. But if it's paperless pooing you want to do, look here.
posted by dreamsign at 1:13 AM on July 13, 2007


No heating? That's poor.

Japanese summer: "Ha! How cute, the toilet seats are heated! Those crazy Japanese."
Japanese winter: "Thank Christ for my heated toilet seat."
posted by liquidindian at 3:02 AM on July 13, 2007


Oh. It is heated. I am a fool.
posted by liquidindian at 3:03 AM on July 13, 2007


In Kyoto we like it Old Skool: The Kiyomizu Toilet.
posted by planetkyoto at 4:41 AM on July 13, 2007


Let's just hope they don't catch on fire: I don't reckon Americans are gonna take too kindly to burnt butts, even if much of the world now considers them flaming assholes. What am I jabbering on about? Previously.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:10 AM on July 13, 2007


Toto.
posted by kirkaracha at 6:25 AM on July 13, 2007


Toto.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:01 AM on July 13, 2007


delmoi: Oh god I feel embarrassed for those poor models.

Yes, that was exactly my first thought. I wonder what their first thought was when their agent told them of the great job he had found. They probably thought of their potential Hollywood career going down the loo.

Still, they must be pretty immune to embarrassment if they managed to survive the casting (or did they use booty-doubles?).
posted by Skeptic at 9:55 AM on July 13, 2007


And I'm with Alvy, that 2nd girl is just charming. The fact she can be that alluring talking about the potty is simply amazing.

She has a lower-back tattoo as well...
posted by delmoi at 10:52 AM on July 13, 2007


The butts are kind of reminiscent of Michael Jackson's "Black or White" video.

Fun writeup.
posted by kirkaracha at 1:37 PM on July 13, 2007


I glanced at this post yesterday briefly, then just now I saw a banner ad on some other site - it had a butt and a smiley face and it said "Toto" on it. I thought to myself, "Oh, yeah - Toto are marketing the Washlet in America now. Wait... why do I know that?"

Consider this a true testimonial. If it weren't for MetaFilter, I would have no clue who was marketing toilets or where they were marketing them.
posted by hypocritical ross at 10:24 AM on July 14, 2007




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