There are three types of Japanese toilets. The oldest type is a
simple Asian squat toilet, which is still common in public restrooms.
After World War II, modern Western-type flush toilets and urinals
became common. Current state of the art is a high-tech bidet toilet,
known as a Washlet, which as of 2004 is installed in over half of
all Japanese households. These high-tech toilets include a built-in
bidet for both the anus and vulva, where a water jet cleans the
private regions of the user. Many additional features are also often
included, such as a blow dryer, seat heating, massage options and
other adjustments for the water jet of the bidet, automatic opening
of the lid and flushing after use, a wireless toilet control panel,
heating and air conditioning for the toilet room, etc.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_toilet
Today's selected anniversaries:
1871 "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?": Henry Morton Stanley located
missing missionary and explorer, David Livingstone in
Ujiji, near Lake Tanganyika in presentday Tanzania.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Morton_Stanley)
1928 Hirohito was crowned the 124th Emperor of Japan.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hirohito)
1969 Sesame Street debuted on National Educational Television.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sesame_Street)
1975 The United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution
3379, which equated Zionism with racism.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UN_General_Assembly_Resolution_3379)
1995 Playwright and environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa along
with eight others from the Movement for the Survival of the
Ogoni People were executed by the Nigerian military
government.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Saro%2dWiwa)
Wikiquote of the day:
"The time has come", the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes - and ships - and sealing wax -
Of cabbages - and Kings -
And why the Sea is boiling hot -
And whether pigs have wings."
~ Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking-Glass
(
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Through_the_Looking%2dGlass)