Description

In November 1978, when TOTO was taking on the challenge of entering a new field, the company decided to develop a new hot-water washing toilet seat based on the “Wash Air Seat,” which had been imported and sold for medical use since December 1964, under the theme of “meeting the needs for a clean and comfortable toilet. This was the first step toward the birth of the first “Washlet.
In the product development process, comprehensive consideration was given to design, ergonomics, and the use of electronics technology, and thorough improvements were made through repeated in-house experiments to find the optimal conditions for each, including the temperature of the hot water, nozzle position, and washing angle. The temperature of the hot water and the nozzle angle are important data that are indispensable for the development of current products. One of the most important points in the development of the toilet seat was how to achieve precise control of the temperature of the hot water. In addition, TOTO incorporated temperature sensors in each unit, such as the washing and heating toilet seats, to achieve fine-tuned temperature control.
In June 1980, TOTO’s original hot-water washing toilet seat was born and named “Washlet”. The name “Washlet” was derived from the phrase, “This is the age of washing. Let’s wash.” In other words, the name ‘Let’s Wash’ was intended to mean ”Let’s wash.
When it was first introduced, the catch copy was fresh: “We want you to wash your buttocks, too. As of 2024, the domestic household penetration rate of washlet toilet seats (for two or more people) is over 80%. As of 2024, the household penetration rate of warm-water toilet seats in Japan (two or more persons) will exceed 80%.
*“Washlet” is a registered trademark of TOTO Ltd.