Japan, the state-of-the-art high-tech powerhouse that gave the world manga and sushi, has also achieved prowess in a more fundamental feature of daily life: the toilet.
Once the nation began installing more and more Western-style toilets after the tried and true squat-type variety fell from favor, the basic pot for sitting has been transformed by gadgetry ranging from heated seats to full-service bidets, and even artificial sounds to disguise what otherwise is heard.
In their evolution, toilets have become the lap of luxury.