TOTO LTD. (Headquarters: Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture; President: Noriaki Kiyota) is pleased to announce that the electric toilet seat with bidet function, WASHLET markets broke the 60 million unit mark in cumulative sales in August 2022. (Total of domestic and international shipments of seat type WASHLET-integrated toilets) Since launching 42 years and two months ago in June 1980, WASHLET units have been used not only in homes but various public restroom*2 facilities in Japan. Meanwhile overseas, TOTO has continued with activities to promote the use of WASHLET units in ways tailored to each region, spreading a new culture of restroom usage around the world.
*1 WASHLET is a registered trademark of TOTO LTD.
*2 TOTO refers to all manner of restrooms installed in facilities other than homes, including commercial facilities, transportation facilities, offices and schools as “public restrooms.”
WASHLET has always provided new value to bathroom culture. With NEOREST WASHLET-integrated toilets and other sophisticated designs packed with hygienic and comfortable features, TOTO continues to propose new innovations to the world. In recent years, function and design have been combined at a higher level, and TOTO has enhanced its product lineup with standard global models that can be rolled out worldwide. Over the last decade, the number of units shipped overseas has achieved roughly fivefold growth. Going forward, TOTO will continue to spread comfortable and hygienic restroom culture around the world.
The Spread of the WASHLET® in Public Settings
In Japan, the penetration of heated bidet toilets in regular households*3 reached 80.3% (2021), and there is broad uptake as housing equipment. In terms of public restrooms, since 2015, based on the concept of “making Japan a showroom for the world,” the installation of WASHLET units in the public restrooms of commercial facilities, public transportation facilities, accommodation facilities and elsewhere was accelerated, in an effort to promote experiences using WASHLET units among foreign visitors to Japan. WASHLET units are also increasingly used in the various facilities, including the restrooms of offices, hospitals and schools, and over the last decade, the number of WASHLET units shipped in Japan has increased by 1.2 times.
*3 Based on Cabinet Office Consumer Behavior Survey (Regular household: regular households nationwide excluding those occupied by foreign nationals or students, institutionalized households, and single-person households)
The Spread of WASHLET® Around the World
Sales by Overseas Region
Overseas sales of WASHLET began from the late 1980s in the United States. WASHLET units are now sold in 18 countries and regions, the result of pursuing each country’s lifestyle, culture and design sensibilities.
By expanding sustainable products like WASHLET that are typical of TOTO and achieve cleanliness, comfort, and environmental friendliness, going forward TOTO will contribute to the realization of an affluent and comfortable society that is conscious of the global environment.
Reducing the Size of Components to Help Improve Design Qualities
The first WASHLET in 1980 began with three functions: (1) Rear cleansing with warm water, (2) Rear drying with warm air, and (3) seat warming. In the years since, the number of components has increased each time various new functions to make toilets cleaner and more comfortable have been added, and today the units can use up to 400 individual components.
Meanwhile in overseas markets there has been a strong trend towards strong design qualities in plumbing equipment, and heated bidet toilets are no exception. Especially in the current European market which is the leader in worldwide design, there is a strong trend towards “thinner” products. TOTO, which has championed the sophisticated fusion of technology and design, searched for ways to make its product thinner without removing functionality.
Previously the height of the nozzle was controlled by extending and retracting it in two stages like a fishing rod, but it was the “curved nozzle” that was developed to make it even thinner.
The development of a nozzle that has a curved shape with no straight lines and which also extends and retracts in two stages required designers to fundamentally revisit the molds that formed the nozzle components and overcome a host of challenges, including miniaturizing the motor and innovating the cable rack that extends and retracts.
The curved nozzle, which reduced unit height by about 30% compared with previous models, was first equipped in WASHLET RW (“RW,” hereafter), which was not released in Japan. The product was launched in the European market starting November 2019. The RW was very well received in the European market and has become the bestselling model despite being the highest grade product offered.
NEOREST LS standard global model that went on sale in August 2022 is also equipped with the curved nozzle, which has contributed to its elegant design. In addition, by revising other components as a whole in the unit, such as reducing the size of the ceramic heater that produces warm water by around 20%, WASHLET continues to evolve into something thinner and more compact.
History of innovation in “WASHLET®” Technology
Major awards and recognition * “WASHLET” and “WASHLET integrated toilet”
| Year | Award | Awarding body | Product/technology (year launched) |
| 1993 | Good Design award | Japan Institute of Design Promotion | NEOREST EX (1993) |
| 2002 | Good Design award | Japan Institute of Design Promotion | NEOREST EX1 (2002) |
| 2005 | Monodzukuri Nippon Grand Award (Outstanding Performance Award) |
Prime ministerial award scheme | Development of NEOREST |
| 2006 | Good Design award | Japan Institute of Design Promotion | NEOREST A (2006) |
| 2009 | iF Award | International Forum Design | NEOREST AH (2007) |
| Reddot Design award | Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen | NEOREST AH (2007) NEOREST SERIES/LE* |
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| Good Design Long Life Design award | Japan Institute of Design Promotion | NEOREST | |
| 2012 | Granted “Mechanical Engineering Heritage” status | Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers | WASHLET G (1980) |
| 2013 | Reddot Design award | Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen | WASHLET D Shape* |
| 2014 | iF Award | International Forum Design | NEOREST GH* NEOREST XHII* NEOREST 750H* |
| Included in “100 Innovations of Postwar Japan” | Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation | WASHLET | |
| 2015 | iF Award | International Forum Design | NEOREST AC* WASHLET SG* Standalone WC and WASHLET* |
| reddot Design award | Design Center North Rhine-Westphalia | WASHLET RH (2015) | |
| 2016 | iF Design Award | International Forum Design | NEOREST DH (2015) |
| Red Dot Design Awards | Design Center North Rhine-Westphalia | NEOREST DH (2015) | |
| 2017 | iF Design Award | International Forum Design | NEOREST NX (2017) |
| Red Dot Design Awards | Design Center North Rhine-Westphalia | NEOREST NX (2017) | |
| Radio Achievement Award: ARIB Chairman’s Award | Association of Radio Industries and Businesses (ARIB) | Practical implementation of microwave sensors for toilet seats (2017) | |
| GREEN GOOD DESIGN AWARDS | Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design, etc. | WASHLET’s equipped with EWATER+ functions | |
| Gold Selection Award | Japan Industrial Design Association (JIDA) | NEOREST NX (2017) | |
| 2018 | iF Design Award | International Forum Design | NEOREST NX (2017) |
| Red Dot Design Awards | Design Center North Rhine-Westphalia | NEOREST NX (2017) | |
| Radio Achievement Award: ARIB Chairman’s Award | Association of Radio Industries and Businesses (ARIB) | Practical implementation of microwave sensors for toilet seats (2017) | |
| GREEN GOOD DESIGN AWARDS | Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design, etc. | WASHLET’s equipped with EWATER+ functions | |
| Gold Selection Award | Japan Industrial Design Association (JIDA) | NEOREST NX (2017) | |
| 2019 | iF Design Award | International Forum Design | NEOREST AH/RH (2017) |
| 2020 | iF Design Award | International Forum Design | WASHLET RW/SW* |
| Red Dot Design Awards | Design Center North Rhine-Westphalia | NEOREST DH (2017) | |
| 2021 | iF Design Award | International Forum Design | WASHLET G5* |
| Red Dot Design Awards | Design Center North Rhine-Westphalia | WASHLET G5* | |
| 2022 | iF Design Award | International Forum Design | NEOREST LS/AS |
| Red Dot Design Awards | Design Center North Rhine-Westphalia | NEOREST LS/RS |
Reference: The Spread of WASHLET® Around the World
Overseas Hotels Using WASHLET
With the desire to provide comfortable and hygienic restroom spaces to customers around the world, TOTO’s overseas offices are promoting the delivery of WASHLET units to sales outlets and other prominent sites, particularly accommodation facilities, where they can be used by many different people as an opportunity to experience WASHLET. Examples of WASHLET installations are also highlighted on the TOTO global website*4.
■ Mainland China: Shangri-La Qiantan
Shanghai Shangri-La Qiantan, located in the Pudong district of Shanghai, is situated in a large-scale international business area that combines various functions including offices and commercial facilities. The 28 story hotel has 585 guest rooms. With a design concept incorporating Shanghai culture and “green nature,” guest rooms are not only fitted with NEOREST and WASHLET units, but also TOTO’s series of high-grade wash basins and faucet fittings.
■ United States: The Warrior Hotel
The Warrior Hotel is a long-standing hotel in the US state of Iowa that has been operating for more than 90 years. The hotel underwent renovations in 2020, and WASHLET units were installed in all 148 guest rooms, including 11 suites. The hotel is close to tourist attractions in the US Midwest, and features stately interiors that give a sense of history, including a grand staircase and elegant furnishings that create a sophisticated space.
■ Asia / Oceania: Novotel Hanoi Thai Ha
Located in central Hanoi in Vietnam, Novotel Hanoi Thai Ha enables guests to enjoy a relaxing atmosphere that is modern and exuberant.
Situated near major tourist areas such as Hoan Kiem Lake, the Temple of Literature and the Old Quarter, the hotel offers convenient access for business and sightseeing alike.
■ Europe: The Biltmore Mayfair, London
The Biltmore Mayfair is located at 44 Grosvenor Square, one of the most elegant addresses in London, England. The location offers convenient access to major tourist spots in London, as well as the fashionable shopping district. The Biltmore Mayfair is a 5-star hotel known around the world for as a stunning piece of architecture and cultural facility.
*4 Sites using WASHLET, from past to the latest installations, are showcased on the “Global Reference” page of the TOTO global website: https://www.toto.com/project
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