Japanese toilet industry agrees to standardize complex bidet controls

Re:Japanese toilet industry agrees to standardize complex bi... by scarlac on Thursday January 19, 2017 @03:37AM (#13434128)

I'm from Denmark (Europe). Looked into it recently. They are extremely expensive. You are easily looking at 2000 USD for a cheap setup. I saw a couple of premium ones for around 14k USD. At this point, I think the problem is that here is not a big enough market to warrant investment. A Catch 22 until some big company decides to enter the market and others follow.

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Re:Japanese toilet industry agrees to standardize complex bi... by Freak_NL on Thursday January 19, 2017 @04:42AM (#13434405)

It's a shame really. Cultural habits like toilet use are very resistant to change, even if there are health or hygiene benefits. You don't know what you are missing until you've lived in Japan with a Toto Washlet installed.

You use a lot less toilet paper, and while the heated seat may seem decadent, it is actually very relaxing in the colder seasons — ostensibly a good thing when voiding your bowels. The best thing though is when you are ill and have diarrhoea. On a Western toilet the toilet paper feels like 80-grit sandpaper after the fourth time you go. With a washlet you've still got diarrhoea, but at least you leave the bathroom feeling clean with your skin not nearly as irritated.

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Re:Japanese toilet industry agrees to standardize complex bi... by dzhiurgis on Thursday January 19, 2017 @04:28AM (#13434345)

Got one recently for my parents in Europe for €230 delivered. Its just an attachment seat to an existing toilet.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/8pr/Toilet-vidaXL-Luxury-Bidet-Au...

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Re:Japanese toilet industry agrees to standardize complex bi... by Symbiote on Thursday January 19, 2017 @10:34AM (#13436527)

The cheap option is a "bidet shower". I had a rented house, owned by a Muslim, which had them installed.

They are presumably cheap to buy, but they need a proper water supply, and plumbers in Denmark are expensive...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bidet_shower

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Re:Japanese toilet industry agrees to standardize complex bi... by Arizhel on Thursday January 19, 2017 @12:33PM (#13437542)

Are you not allowed to buy yourself a few fittings and a wrench and do it yourself in Denmark?

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Re:Japanese toilet industry agrees to standardize complex bi... by Symbiote on Friday January 20, 2017 @11:58AM (#13445104)

I have no idea, I've not lived here long enough to find out.

Probably.

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Re:Japanese toilet industry agrees to standardize complex bi... by dcow on Thursday January 19, 2017 @04:37AM (#13434377)

If you factor in the savings on toilet paper and anti-depressants you can raise the bottom line a little..

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Re:Japanese toilet industry agrees to standardize complex bi... by kelnos on Thursday January 19, 2017 @04:35PM (#13439700)

Wow, is most of that the cost to import in small volume? They aren't super popular in the US, either, but you can get a basic model (with seat warmer) that attaches to an existing "normal" toilet for around $400 from Toto.

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Re:Japanese toilet industry agrees to standardize complex bi... by scarlac on Friday January 20, 2017 @06:52AM (#13443148)

Those were the prices for domestic dealers. I saw some seat-only products outside of Denmark, but many of them only fit certain toilets and some don't say which or how to know if it'll fit. Eventually I gave up since I simply don't know what toilet I have amongst the other unknowns.

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