NPR:

I just got back from my first trip to Japan, and I’m now in love with the country. The ramen, yakitori and sushi. The gorgeous volcanoes. The fascinating people and culture. But of all the things I fell in love with, there’s one that I can’t stop thinking about: the toilets.

Most of the toilets in Japan are made by a company called Toto, which started the high-tech toilet revolution in 1980 when it unveiled the Washlet, a first-of-its-kind electric toilet seat with an integrated bidet. Toto has been innovating on the design ever since. So I reached out to the company. It put me in touch with Bill Strang, the president of corporate strategy and e-commerce at Toto USA.

“U.S. toilets are effectively bedpans with a drain,” says Strang. The lofty price of Japanese-style toilets are another reason that they might not be catching on.

I had the same Japanese experience the author did. While initially confused by my hotel’s toilets, the detailed instructions (!) in English helped and I “loved” using the toilet for the week I was there. We are in the market for a new toilet in our house and while there’s no way we’d splurge for a Toto, there is nothing similar to them on the market for a non-exorbitant price.