Moons over Manhattan
Japan toilet giant Toto is making a move into the U.S. market with a new advertising campaign that some have dubbed “Moons Over Manhattan.”
A two-story billboard in Times Square graced with the images of human butts decorated with the drawing of a smiling face is meant to tout the pleasures of the Toto washlet, which is already pretty much a standard accoutrement in the modern Japanese rest room.
According to a Toto press release the Toto Washlet “upgrades a standard U.S. toilet to state-of-the-art in personal hygiene. It cleans and dries with aerated water and warm air (both adjustable, via wireless remote, for temperature and strength). While over 17 million have been sold worldwide, the U.S. remains an untapped market.”
No word as to whether any modifications were required in order to adapt the Japanese washlet to American. . . Ummm. . . needs.
Click the image below to find out why Toto thinks clean is better.
Thanks to Mr. Pink.
Poor Mari….she’s my favorite. If I ever become a j-pop singer and part of the...
Shes definitely at the top of my hot list.
perfeckt 10:10
I’m pretty sure no one is going to miss those adds….every time they walk by them. But did you guys visit the link? I don’t know about the rest of you, but when I go to the bathroom I don’t do crossword, call people, or… make shadow puppets. I think I’ll hold on to my nice cold toilet seat thank you.
June 26th, 2007 at 5:10 pmI think the reasons why bidet toilet spread all Japan are:
1. People like it clean,
2. toilet and bath room are separated, and
3. bidet was not wide used in Japan.
By the way, how common is bidet used in north America ?
June 26th, 2007 at 7:38 pmThat Toto site is seriously creepy. Heebie-jeebie level creepy.
June 26th, 2007 at 7:53 pm“No word as to whether any modifications were required in order to adapt the Japanese washlet to American. . . Ummm. . . needs.”
When my parents visited Japan they were much taken with the washlets, to the extent of collecting several brochures and thinking about adaptors for power etc. However it turns out that Japanese loos are slightly narrower than Western ones, so they wouldn’t fit.
June 26th, 2007 at 9:05 pmAs much as I love Japanese toilets, I do not see them taking on in the US. Bidet’s are rare in the USA. I’ve seen them in nicer hotels and they do serve a purpose. I think one drawback is when home’s are designed (in the USA), they do not have power close to the toilet itself. I’d get one if it came on the market and fit my American Standard. I must admit, sitting on a warm toilet (to me) is quite startling (at first).
June 26th, 2007 at 9:34 pmBut there’s nothing quite as ’startling’ as an ice-cold toilet seat!
June 26th, 2007 at 10:00 pmIce-cold lets you know its ‘fresh’ and no other butts have recently occupied your throne of choice. And as for the US, I have not yet see one of these washlets anywhere myself. It still seems kinda weird to me, having something spray me after I’m done.
June 27th, 2007 at 2:20 amI love these things, I’m going to get one for my apartment in Brooklyn.
June 27th, 2007 at 6:58 amI don’t quite understand the mechanics of this. Are they saying water sprays on your bits, washing around the dilute remains of your visit, then warm air dries the dilute remains onto your skin?.
How would a person ever feel clean again?. Even if the water was blasting out like a paint stripper.
Seriously, would anyone do a “jobby”, and then step into the shower to wash it off WITHOUT THEIR HANDS OR SOAP, and feel clean?.
I muct be missing something here, I am sure.:neutral:
June 27th, 2007 at 3:15 pmTo Americans, a bidet is a French invention, therefore it will go over about as well as quiche. They should call it a “washlet” instead, it will go over better.
June 27th, 2007 at 3:48 pmEr…quiche is a multi-million dollar market in the US.
June 27th, 2007 at 5:22 pmI agree it will take a change in habits, but it’s something many Americans are ready for, I think.
“Even if the water was blasting out like a paint stripper”
It is. Be prepared the first time. And you can check efficiency if you like with normal loo paper. It’s remarkably good.
June 27th, 2007 at 5:44 pm