You Can Find This Button Only on a Japanese Toilet!

Have you ever heard the sound of running water when entering a Japanese toilet? Or have you ever seen a button with a symbol for music on the toilet washlet in Japan?

This button is one of the advanced functions of Japanese toilets and is called "Oto-hime" (音姫). First invented in 1988 for Japanese women who are sensitive and ashamed of the unpleasant sounds produced when using the toilet, this technology was inspired by traditions carried out by Japanese women since the Edo period.

Japanese women in the Edo period used various objects to mask the sounds they produced when using the toilet. Taps made from bamboo stems are opened so that water flows into containers made of natural stone. The sound of this water flow covers the unpleasant noise produced when using the toilet.

Before this technology, most people flushed toilets to muffle any unpleasant sounds while using the toilet, but considering water resources are limited, this was very wasteful.

This technology was created so that toilet users, especially women, do not feel the need to flush toilets to cover the unpleasant noises they produce when using the toilet. Women always press this button when using the toilet!

The sound of water flowing will be heard loud enough when this button is pressed, so sometimes some Japanese people are embarrassed to press this button too.
In addition to maintaining the privacy of toilet users by masking sounds that they do not want others to hear, this sound also has a relaxing effect. Have you tried using this?
Source articles: https://jp.toto.com/greenchallenge/technology/story/07/ https://jp.toto.com/greenchallenge/ecocafe/post02/

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