Twenty-six floors above Tokyo’s Shinjuku district sits one of the city’s coolest showcases of Japanese gadgetry: Toto‘s flagship showroom, where visitors can check out the latest in high-end toilet and bath technology.
From automatic-everything “washlet” toilets to a $30,000 light-up bathtub, there’s a lot to explore.
Toto, the world’s largest plumbing manufacturer, was founded in 1917 – almost 100 years ago. In Japan, its products are in almost every bathroom you visit. And worldwide, the Toto company did almost $6 billion in sales last year.
But it’s probably best known in Western pop culture for its high-tech “washlet” toilets, which you might find in a high-end Japanese restaurant in New York City or an increasing number of private homes. Think: Heated seat, remote control, and an automatic bidet nozzle that washes you with warm water after you use the restroom, dries you with air and doesn’t waste paper.
In Japan, the washlet-type toilet has more than 70% penetration in residences, Toto’s reps tell me. And internationally, washlet sales are increasing by “double digit” percentages annually. But the Japan domestic market is still the big one.
Today’s high-end Toto washlets are the “Neorest” line, available for purchase in Japan and internationally. (Pictured above.) They’re attractive, highly automated, and efficient, featuring a special glazing to promote cleanliness and a “Cyclone” flushing system, described as “the cleanest, most hygienic and most powerful flushing system.” The top-of-line Neorest 600, for instance,
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