I blogged about high-tech toilets here and here but apparently the Japanese have only begun to explore the full potential of the technology. The latest development: toilets that you control with your smartphone.
The author of the article is alert to the potential for misuse.
Maybe The Economist is preparing a special report on Japan for their next issue. That might be why they have just posted on their web site a strangely unfocused column that seems to be mostly about the Tokyo dining scene, but which begins with a description of a high-tech toilet that is far more sophisticated than the one I described.
This one features a massive remote control that appears to have tremendous potential for evil if it should fall into the wrong hands.
A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn, but “traditional” does not necessarily mean “primitive” or “austere.” Often they are equipped with all the latest modern conveniences.
For example the toilet in my bathroom had a complicated control panel with numerous buttons, all labeled in Japanese. This was intimidating since my Japanese is pretty limited and I can’t read kanji at all.
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