National Jan 18, 2018
Toto hopes to clean up with new self-cleaning toilets
by Magdalena Osumi
With the upcoming 2020 Olympics in mind leading Japanese toilet-maker Toto Ltd. has recently introduced a new type of self-cleaning toilet for public restrooms, aiming to improve bathroom experiences for locals and foreign visitors to Japan. "We're seeing a surge in inbound tourism," said Hirofumi ...
Business / Corporate Dec 15, 2017
Leading Japanese toilet maker Toto Ltd. is boosting production capacity in Thailand to meet global demand for its Washlet toilets, as well as potential domestic market needs. Toto (Thailand) Co., its wholly owned subsidiary, said it is planning to complete the construction of its second ...
Business Aug 1, 2017
Toto Ltd. on Tuesday launched a high-end model of its Washlet bidet toilet series as a flagship product targeting wealthy individuals and hotels across the globe. The Neorest NX with a domestic sticker price of ¥615,600 ($5,590), the highest among the company's items, features a ...
Language | BILINGUAL Mar 13, 2017
Toto rolls out droll toilet humor with a whiff of class
by Mark Schreiber
Sit back and relax as this week's Bilingual column splashes on the results of Toto's 2016 Toilet Senryu Contest.
Style & Design Aug 20, 2016
Japan's architects are building a better future
by Mio Yamada
Home-security AI cats; talking walls equipped with motion sensors; communal-living apartment blocks that promote harmonious relations; and outdoor living-room spaces powered by solar energy siphoned off hybrid cars — these previews of our future, currently on display at "House Vision 2," sound like science ...
National | CHUBU CONNECTION Mar 28, 2016
A recent analysis of big data by Central Nippon Expressway Co. (NEXCO Central) has revealed that more and more men tend to prefer cubicles over urinals in restrooms. Real-time panels near the entrance of restrooms showed which cubicles are occupied using sensors installed on cubicle ...
Business / Corporate Mar 11, 2016
Toilet-maker Toto looks to Chinese to change cultural habits to boost sales
by Miho Yamada
Nearly all Japanese have converted to using seated toilets since 1977 when they first overtook the squatting versions. For future growth, Japan's largest toilet—maker Toto Ltd. is looking toward neighboring China. "Just like Japan when I was growing up, not many people owned houses and ...
National May 28, 2015
High-tech toilets targeted to reel in tourists ahead of Olympics
by Tomohiro Osaki
Japan's high-tech toilets are nothing new but their growing popularity has prompted the government to use them as a tool to promote tourism and sell the technology abroad. A panel set up under Haruko Arimura, minister in charge of women's empowerment, submitted a report Monday ...
Our Lives | JAPAN LITE Jan 24, 2014
From the ditches of Nara to the Otohime, a lav story
by Amy Chavez
Ever wondered what's with the toilet slippers in Japan? Surely I am not the only foreigner to question whether we need to be entirely reshod before entering the restroom in a Japanese house.
Our Lives | JAPAN LITE Feb 23, 2013
What's next for Toto? More toilet humor
by Amy Chavez
What is the next logical toilet model for Toto? After one has invented a toilet that welcomes you by lifting it's lid automatically when you walk into the bathroom, cuddles you with a heated toilet seat, washes and dries your bum after you've done ...
Business | YEN FOR LIVING Oct 1, 2010
Japan's toilet business flush with success
by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku
Asia loves the Washlet. In fact, some people can't leave home without it.