Toilet Seat Bidets: No Longer Just A Japanese Oddity

April 12, 2009 by  
Filed under Bidet Articles

japbuttonsToilet seat bidets used to be such a Japanese oddity – just another one of those nifty things them quirky Nippons seem to have an unlimited supply of.  Ask any Westerner who has visited Japan about their trip and tales of high-tech electronic bidets will be among the stories you will hear about.   Like Anime and sexy character cosplay, however, they’ve now made their way out of Japanese shores and into the world at large.

The First Toilet Seat Bidets

The first high-tech toilet to make it big in Japan was the Washlet G Series from Toto.  Because of the product name of the original, further bidets that offered a similar functionality became known as washlets, as well.  Originally released in 1980, it created a new industry that has grown in ways no one would have imagined at the time.

Recent surveys indicate that over half of Japanese homes have one of these high-tech washlets installed.  It will probably take a while before the rest of the world catches up, but the number of folks adopting the new technology is ever-growing.

They’re Everywhere

Nowadays, you can buy Japanese-style bidets, often referred to as washlets, in many places in the US and around the world.  They’re also readily available online, in various makes, models and sizes.

Admittedly, there’s still a certain amount of stigma, a hesitation among people when it comes to using a bidet.  With wider use and positive reviews from folks who have personally experienced its benefits, however, that’s beginning to end.