The Rise of the Japanese Toilet

Perceived benefits and adoption

• Many commenters describe bidets/Japanese toilets as one of the biggest quality-of-life upgrades they’ve ever had; once accustomed, they feel “barbaric” going back to dry paper only.
• Users with IBS, hemorrhoids, or “messy” stools say water cleaning is almost essential; some report far less irritation versus toilet paper or wet wipes.
• Some think paper alone is sufficient if diet/fiber are good and technique is gentle, but others say even “ghost poops” aren’t truly clean without water.

Types of solutions

• Distinction between:
  • Standalone European bidets.
  • Japanese “washlets” (electro-mechanical seats or integrated toilets with warm water, heated seats, drying, auto-open/flush).
  • Handheld “bum guns” common in SE Asia/Middle East.
  • Simple mechanical add-on seats (no power) and very cheap sprayers/bottle-based DIY setups.
• Several recommend specific low-cost mechanical seats and handheld sprayers as giving “90% of benefits” with minimal install effort.

Installation, plumbing, and power

• Main retrofit barriers: lack of outlet near toilet, code requirements for GFCI, old plumbing that can’t handle flushed paper, and bathrooms without floor drains or tiling.
• Some argue adding an outlet/GFCI is trivial; others point out many rentals and older homes make this non-trivial, leading them to prefer non-electric sprayers.
• There’s debate over leak risk from cheap sprayers and plastic/O-ring connections; experiences range from “never leaked in years” to strong distrust for upstairs installations.

Hygiene, health, and environment

• Strong consensus that wet wipes clog sewers and septic systems, even when marketed as “flushable”; cities and countries are moving to restrict them.
• Some studies are cited suggesting bidets can disturb vaginal microflora, dry out skin, or spread resistant bacteria via contaminated nozzles, especially in hospitals and with warm-water units.
• Others counter that overuse of toilet paper also causes dermatitis and that better nozzle design and cleaning could mitigate risks.
• A few worry about parasite/bacteria spread via public jets/handheld sprayers; evidence in the thread is limited and mostly speculative.

Cultural and regional practices

• Water-based cleaning is described as standard in Argentina, much of SE Asia, the Middle East, parts of Europe, Russia, and Finland, often tied to religious or longstanding hygiene norms.
• Several contrast “wet rooms” (floor drains, hose, full wash) vs. US bathrooms optimized for dryness, carpets, and minimal drains.
• Habits around not flushing toilet paper (e.g., Mexico, Greece, parts of China/Portugal/Spain) are discussed as a mix of old infrastructure and cultural inertia.

Comfort features and trade-offs

• Appreciated features: heated seats, warm water, night lights, variable flush volume, bowl pre-wetting, non-stick coatings, and auto-lid/auto-flush.
• Drying fans are widely panned as too weak/slow; most still finish with a small amount of paper.
• Some note significant standby power draw on certain Toto models; others report much lower consumption, so actual usage is unclear.

Alternatives and edge cases

• Off-grid and composting-toilet users describe water-plus-sawdust/peat approaches and argue they can be low-odor and pleasant, though not scalable in cities.
• Squat toilets vs. seated toilets are debated: squatting is seen as physiologically better by some but physically difficult or gross by others; “squat plus bidet” is floated as an ideal but rare combo.