Anyone who has used a toilet in Japan will have seen the TOTO sticker but do you know the story behind it?
TOTO Co. Ltd can be traced back to 1889 with the establishment of the Morimura Gumi Company that produced western style ceramics. From humble beginnings, the first flushing toilet was invented in 1914. It had a wooden seat and white ceramic bowl. Fast forward a few years and in 1980 the Washlet G Toilet was invented which signaled a new toilet culture in Japan.
Over three sections, the Toto Museum delicately explains the development from squatting to sitting toilets in Japan and provides great working demonstrations of how their unique toilets operate.
The last part of the tour ended with a realistic look at the way forward for Toto toilets. An ageing population and decreased birthrate in Japan will see a majority of the population with specific bathroom needs. Toto has started to create universal toilet designs so that they can age with and adapt to the needs of the user.
Toilets are a part of everyday life and can easily be taken for granted. TOTO Museum doesn’t take itself too seriously and enables you to have a laugh while learning about the years of evolution behind the modern TOTO toilet Japan is famous for today.
Entrance is free and worth a visit if you appreciate a good loo.
