This Is A Crappy Article

When I bought my house in Japan, I first insisted on renovating the mizumawari (水回り). If you’re unfamiliar with the term, it literally translates to “around the water.” It’s actually a catch-all word for everything in the house that uses water: bathrooms, kitchens, sinks, utility areas, and, most importantly, the throne itself. I was adamant about this part of the renovation because, let’s face it, if you’re settling in Japan, you might as well go all-in on the country’s most celebrated tech: the toilet.

So, I went all out. I kitted my home with not one but two top-of-the-line Toto toilets, decked out with every feature imaginable. I’m talking about the full all-singing, all-dancing, all-washing, beeping, blowing, heating, anti-freezing, auto-cleaning Japanese wonder thrones. Since then, every visit to the loo has been blissful. You haven’t lived until you’ve experienced the warm embrace of a heated seat in winter. Trust me, it’s transformative.

But recently, after seeing Toto pop up in my news feed, I got curious about the company behind my bathroom nirvana. What started as a casual Google search turned into a deep dive down the Toto rabbit hole, and I discovered there’s a lot more to this company’s story than I ever realized. So, buckle up. Today, I will share their toilet tale and dig into why these Japanese bathroom marvels haven’t quite conquered the world like they’ve conquered my house.

High-Tech Heaven in Japan, High-Tech Headaches Abroad

In Japan, Totos toilets are more than just a fixture; they’re practically a national treasure. Walk into any respectable restroom, and you’re greeted with a heated seat, a warm-water bidet, and even a gentle blow-dry to finish off. There’s a deodorizer to ensure the air remains as fresh as your newly spritzed behind. Toto’s Washlets have become almost as essential as rice and miso soup in a culture that prizes cleanliness and personal comfort. This isn’t seen as a luxury; it’s an expectation.

The roots of this obsession go deep into Japan’s cultural history. For centuries, Japanese culture has placed a premium on purity and cleanliness. The Kirei (清潔) concept of cleanliness and orderliness permeates everything from food preparation to public spaces. This reverence for hygiene has evolved into the modern age, where technology is seamlessly integrated into daily life. And Toto has mastered the art of blending tradition with cutting-edge tech, turning mundane bathroom routines into high-tech rituals. Yet, despite Japan's love affair with these tech-heavy thrones, Toto’s innovations haven’t quite made a splash abroad. The global market is proving to be a hard nut to crack.

Why the Rest of the World Isn’t Flushing Out Their Old Ways

Outside Japan, the typical bathroom setup remains pretty basic. In the West, the bathroom hasn’t changed much since the mid-20th century: a simple flush toilet, a roll of TP, and maybe an air freshener if you feel fancy. The idea of swapping out a perfectly functional toilet for a $1,000+ toilet with heated jets and a built-in dryer? Most homeowners would consider that an unnecessary upgrade, like putting heated seats in a horse-drawn carriage. Americans and Europeans are more likely to spend that kind of money on a new kitchen gadget or a big-screen TV, not on something they think of as a “toilet seat.”

Sure, Toto saw a surge in interest during the pandemic when toilet paper suddenly became the world’s hottest commodity, and there is still some growth in SEA markets. But, once most consumers realised that installing a washlet required a nearby electrical outlet and possibly even rewiring their bathroom, the interest drained away faster than a leaky faucet.

What Happens When Innovation Stays in Isolation?

This brings us to Japan’s infamous “Galapagos syndrome.” This term describes how Japanese companies create brilliant, sophisticated products that thrive in their insular domestic market but struggle to adapt to the rest of the world. The term itself is inspired by Darwin’s observations on the Galápagos Islands, where species evolved in isolation to fit their unique environment. Japan’s tech industry, including Toto, is often compared to this phenomenon, innovative but trapped in its own bubble.

The Washlet is a shining example. It was first introduced in 1980 and transformed the humble toilet into a sophisticated appliance. More than just a fixture, it became a cultural icon, embodying Japan’s obsession with meticulous cleanliness. By 2022, over 100 million bidet-equipped toilets had been sold domestically. But despite its success at home, Toto’s attempts to take this technology abroad have often resulted in confusion, not conversion.

Outside Japan, toilets that spray, blow, and beep are met with scepticism. In Europe and the U.S., the bathroom is a purely functional space. For most people, a simple flush and wipe is good enough. Introducing a heated, self-cleaning toilet with a remote control feels like overengineering to solve a problem no one knew they had. Many Western consumers see it as unnecessary complexity, like trying to reinvent the wheel when they only need a simple ride.

Even when it comes to hygiene, cultural attitudes differ. In the West, there’s an ingrained trust in toilet paper, which has been the go-to cleaning method for over a century. The pitch for Toto’s toilets is that water is cleaner than paper, which requires a shift in spending and a change in deeply ingrained habits. Let’s just say convincing people to spray instead of wipe can be... tricky. It turns out that for most Westerners, a “hands-free experience” is best left to other tech gadgets.

Japanese Companies’ Global Struggle

The bigger picture here isn’t just about toilets; it’s a Pandora's box of broader issues facing Japanese companies that excel at domestic innovation but stumble when it comes to going global. Remember Japan’s mobile phones in the early 2000s? They had features like mobile payments, high-resolution cameras, and even TV streaming years before the iPhone. But instead of capitalizing on this head start, Japanese firms focused inward, missing the chance to dominate international markets.

Why? Because Japanese companies often prioritize perfecting products for their home market rather than simplifying them for global audiences. The emphasis on quality, precision, and high-tech features can sometimes feel excessive to consumers abroad. They don’t need all the bells and whistles, just a reliable, cheap and user-friendly product that fits seamlessly into their lives.

Even when Japanese companies like Toto decide to venture abroad, they run into cultural and logistical challenges. The idea of retrofitting American bathrooms with electrical outlets for a toilet is a non-starter for many homeowners. And in a country where “quick and easy” often beats “high-tech and fancy,” that’s a tough flush to swallow.

The Way Forward? Embracing Global Adaptation

So, where does that leave Toto and Japan’s innovation giants? Well, they need to adapt if they want to avoid becoming a relic of their own island. For Toto, that might mean simplifying their product lineup for international markets. They should probably focus on shirting the brand towards core benefits like hygiene, sustainability, and water conservation rather than overwhelming potential customers with features they didn’t know they needed.

The reality is that global success won’t come from trying to export the full Japanese experience but from adapting to local markets. If Toto really wants to make a splash, it needs to think beyond its borders and embrace flexibility and creative brand-driven differentiation over perfection.

I write a monthly magazine called UZU with commentary, interviews, and articles on Japan, branding and marketing, and life in Japan. Subscribe here to download the latest edition for November. ?? https://lnkd.in/gH-drv6B

#technology, #culture, #comfort, #innovation, #hygiene, #bathroomtech, #totojapan, #japanlife, #globalmarketing, #hightechhomes #businessinjapan #scalinginjapan