Clean your ass after defecating

Many people do not know, but go to the bathroom and defecate in the fastest and most efficient way is a formula that The Japanese invented after Uesugi Kenshinone of the most powerful Japanese warriors, fell dead … while I was doing their needs. The samurais then formulated a technique for the “squeeze”: cross your legs. Several centuries later, the Japanese nation would erect again as the flag bearer in the matters of the bathroom, and a company was going to become the protagonist of the second part: Cleaning.

A hygienic revolution. Year 1982, a television ad In Japan marks a before and after in the history of personal hygiene habits. In that commercial, an actress wondered naturally why, if we wash our hands when they get dirty, we do not do the same with our butt. With that simple logic, the Toto Washleta toilet seat with built -in bidé, heating, drying and other advanced functions.

The initial reaction was stuled, even rejection. The announcement caused, in fact, controversy for broadcasting during dinner time. However, with the passage of time, which began as a technological eccentricity became a national symbol: today, today More than 80% of Japanese households use this type of toilets. But there is much more.

Of rarity to standard. I told the weekend The New York Times In a report. TOTOfounded in 1917 in Kitakyushu, perfected an idea that he observed in the American medical field in the 60s: a water cleaning device. Redesigned with Japanese meticulousness, the Washlet was launched in 1980 and evolved slowly.

It took almost two decades to sell the first ten million units, but after adding innovations such as deodorization (1992), automatic cover closure (2003) or exact water temperature adjustment, the water temperature, Acceptance shot up. Japanese culture, where even domestic objects can be considered sacred and discomfort is seen as a challenge to solve, He hugged the idea strongly. Today they have been sold More than 60 million of Washlets worldwide, with sales that do not stop growing.

THE INTERNATIONAL CONQUEST: Pandemia. Although the success in Asia was immediate, the conquest of other markets, such as the American, was rather arduous. Since his arrival in 1989, Toto faced cultural taboos, advertising rejection and even protests By fences in Times Square They showed naked rear. Only mouth mouth kept the Mark for years.

What happened? That everything changed with the Covid-19 pandemic. It We have counted: The “shortage” of toilet paper and the increase in time at home took thousands of American consumers to Reconsider your habits. Washlet sales in the United States doubled in 2020 and have maintained their impulse since then. Social networks, luxury hotels or Even celebrities As Ali Wong or DJ Khaled have also contributed to the rise of the phenomenon.

The tourist effect. Plus: Another unexpected force in this expansion has been tourism. The experience of using a Japanese toilet during a trip has become A kind of revelation/must For many visitors. He counted The Times The case of Canadian professor Ryan Gregory as illustrative: after trying a washlet in Japan, he bought two for his home.

This experience is increasingly repeated, which has consolidated the Nation as not only a technology manufacturer, but an exporter of domestic comfort standards. In a country like the United States, where toilets with Bidé still represent only 2.5% Of the total, Toto sees a vast market to conquer (or rear to clean).

Commercial challenges. Of course, Toto’s growth is not exempt from obstacles. Most washlets sold in the United States They are manufactured in Thailand and Malaysiaand the tariff threats From the Trump administration to those countries could make their products more expensive.

However, the president of Toto, Shinya Tamura, does not consider changing his goals. Moreover, he wants to double sales in the United States by 2027 and, as a symbolic gesture, he plans Try it on Times Square. With an increasingly receptive international market and a product that transforms a physiological need into a comfort experience, the Japanese company prepares to continue leading a silent but deep cultural revolution.

That of our rear.

Image | Brainwashers, Ted Slampyak via The Art of Manliness

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