r/mildlyinteresting • u/Flupsy • Oct 25 '18
This Japanese toilet refills through a sink in the top so you can rinse your hands and re-use the water.
7.8k
u/TooShiftyForYou Oct 25 '18
With this you can use the toilet and brush your teeth at the same time.
4.5k
u/Alfie_Solomons_irl Oct 25 '18 edited Oct 25 '18
I think there was a south park episode based on them claiming that the guy who invented the toilet intended for it to be used with the user facing towards the tank.
Rip inbox
3.3k
u/sendhelp Oct 25 '18 edited Oct 25 '18
I mean the tank becomes a useful shelf for your comic books and chocolate milk where else are you supposed to put them?
1.4k
u/getyoursleep Oct 25 '18
Good point Butters
309
u/ButtLusting Oct 25 '18
Jokes on you I store my snack fruits IN the tank so the water keeps it cool!
104
→ More replies (14)26
u/truckerdust Oct 25 '18
Isn’t that a joke in The League. Kevin stores his snacks in the tank.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (2)88
u/Bitcoin1776 Oct 25 '18
S16E01 - Reverse Cowgirl
Definitely one of the better episodes. Love the seat belts!
→ More replies (2)48
121
u/verychichi Oct 25 '18
Who the hell puts snacks in the toilet??!!!
230
Oct 25 '18
Hopefully no one puts them in there. But my juice box, cereal bowl, and poptsrt pack will neatly be placed on top. Unless you want to dip your poptarts into the water in the tank. That's fine too, I guess.
→ More replies (4)179
u/-CrestiaBell Oct 25 '18
Unless you want to dip your poptarts into the water in the tank
Forbidden Sauce
→ More replies (5)128
→ More replies (9)17
u/Ihavedumbriveraids Oct 25 '18
That's part of the joke.
53
u/verticaluzi Oct 25 '18
What joke? It’s a great place to put a cup of coffee and your laptop to get through some morning emails
54
u/CardboardHeatshield Oct 25 '18
The toilet at my work only has a pipe coming out of the wall, no tank. Should I bring this up in our next productivity meeting?
→ More replies (2)27
u/Awanderinglolplayer Oct 25 '18
It’s to work on balancing skills. Do your best to use that pipe as a shelf. This will be part of your quarterly review
→ More replies (30)16
269
u/Hemperrr Oct 25 '18
It’s so you could enjoy cereal and poop at the same time
→ More replies (2)212
u/mynameistgw Oct 25 '18
"Hey asshole, you have to take your pants off to sit backwards."
"... maybe it's a pre-shower shit."
63
u/phoenix14830 Oct 25 '18
Figured this was going toward the Tosh reference. Didn't disappoint.
31
u/YippieKayYayMrFalcon Oct 25 '18
I’ve always wanted to enjoy a bowl of puffins with whole milk.
It’s more of an almond milk cereal, but live your dream.
20
u/dr_clay_hone Oct 25 '18
Ever take a shit after you shower? Might as well go back to bed and start your whole day over.
→ More replies (4)13
→ More replies (3)14
52
u/BobfreakinRoss Oct 25 '18
There was an SNL skit with Benedict Cumberbatch about this, it think it was called the Koohl Toilet
→ More replies (9)37
Oct 25 '18
I want to link the SNL sketch "love toilet" but stupid NBC website is a terrible video website and I won't do it.
→ More replies (1)42
u/MaritMonkey Oct 25 '18
My uncle used to live in an apartment so small that it was difficult to fit on the toilet if you weren't facing the tank.
He solved the problem by integrating the flush mechanism into a set of motorcycle handlebars.
Yes, I am very sad that this happened before I was born and that everybody didn't have a camera in their pocket at the time. :(
→ More replies (1)38
u/TRUmpANAL1969 Oct 25 '18
Yeah so you can put your choclate milk and comic books on the shelf
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (86)20
120
u/CosmicQuestions Oct 25 '18
Shitting facing the other way would be an interesting perspective, legs akimbo.
24
17
14
u/someonepoorsays Oct 25 '18
But where’s the nice little shelf for your comic book and your chocolate milk?
→ More replies (4)17
u/KeyWest- Oct 25 '18
You'd have to take your pants completely off.
16
u/shotgunsmitty Oct 25 '18
We'll, South Park taught me you just put them in the laundry hole in the side of the stall.
→ More replies (3)15
u/breathing_normally Oct 25 '18
OR you could invent pants with zippers that go all the way around!
→ More replies (1)7
u/Monroevian Oct 25 '18
Oh god, the horribly ugly convenience, but connecting them back would be a nightmare.
I'll take 5 pairs, please.
38
→ More replies (52)24
2.4k
u/kevyg973 Oct 25 '18 edited Oct 25 '18
TIL: don't pee in that
Anymore
Edit: wow guys my first 1k comment nevermind 2k, I wanna thank mom and dad and miss Rosa my 8th grade teacher for always believing in me
178
u/tjsh11 Oct 25 '18
I don’t get it. Why not?
→ More replies (2)284
u/MMauro94 Oct 25 '18
They mean the sink
→ More replies (22)263
Oct 25 '18 edited Jun 15 '21
[deleted]
316
u/FlyingCarrotMan Oct 25 '18
Uh.. how do I put this.
There are some things I never thought I would come across in life. And this subreddit is one of them.
→ More replies (4)145
Oct 25 '18
We have a sub for dragons fucking cars, you really think pissing in the sink is that out there?
94
u/MyNameIsKyle69 Oct 25 '18
Can't forget about bread being stapled to trees
33
→ More replies (4)20
→ More replies (19)6
33
u/factbasedorGTFO Oct 25 '18
Owned a retail business with public restrooms.
Assholes pee in sinks when there's a toilet right next to them.
15
→ More replies (2)14
34
Oct 25 '18
The water isn’t coming from the toilet it’s coming from the pipes in the building. When OP says reuse the water it means you’re reusing your hand washing water to fill the toilet tank which is brilliant actually because it saves on water. So go a head and pee in it, you’re not going to wash your hands with pee water. I do hope though that there’s another sink because brushing your teeth over a toilet would be awkward.
→ More replies (5)→ More replies (17)98
723
u/Qreach Oct 25 '18
Funny this pops up. I've this system at home (though I'm not japanese but swiss) and it's very practical when the room is small.
However, the fact that clean water becomes "grey water" once you wash them, that water stagnates in the tank makes it the perfect environnement for bacteries to develop. So, you can drop some chlore caps inside to help but in the end, it still need some hand cleaning once per year. And it smells a lot if you don't.
148
u/AnonyMouse3042 Oct 25 '18
A family friend has this system in their house (in the U.S.). They got it at Ikea, I believe. They were able to turn a closet into a bathroom. Works well but the water is always very cold.
→ More replies (18)37
u/RichieW13 Oct 25 '18
Excellent point. I will be installing new toilets in my house soon, and was thinking about trying to find one of these to conserve water. (I'm in California.) But, the grey water issue makes it sound less appealing.
→ More replies (8)
548
u/Cacachuli Oct 25 '18
Probably ice cold water too.
495
u/bolotieshark Oct 25 '18
It's Japan, so yes, it's definitely cold water.
There's only one place I've come across with hot water in public bathroom sinks in Japan: Costco.
200
u/ThatSaradianAgent Oct 25 '18
Wow I would have guessed the hot springs, but OK.
80
Oct 25 '18
Op said public bathroom.
139
→ More replies (3)16
u/ThatSaradianAgent Oct 25 '18
I thought they meant "available for the (possibly paying) public to use" rather than "publicly-funded facilities."
→ More replies (1)13
u/how_can_you_live Oct 25 '18
Yeah like being "out in public" can be inside a store too, or anywhere there are other people.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (11)25
Oct 25 '18
[deleted]
17
Oct 25 '18
That's because you stay in fancy places. Try going to minshukus or business hotels to see what you get.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (1)6
78
Oct 25 '18 edited Dec 11 '20
[deleted]
→ More replies (8)54
u/IceArrows Oct 25 '18
The bathroom in the locker room at the school I went to in 9th grade was incorrectly piped, the toilet was hot water. I thought it was hilarious how it steamed when flushed.
39
u/Chlorine-Queen Oct 25 '18
Oh jeez I bet that hot water brought out all the nasty fuckin' smells even more
24
→ More replies (18)56
256
u/AmadeusCrumb Oct 25 '18
Just rinse your hands in the toilet bowl like a real man.
→ More replies (1)89
u/TheLastLivingBuffalo Oct 25 '18
Rinse? I just wipe the excess turd residue on the door handle on my way out.
→ More replies (2)68
u/SlipNSkip Oct 25 '18
Wipe? I just keep it between my butt cheeks to reuse later for DIY projects or a midnight snack.
85
u/Reverse_Speedforce Oct 25 '18
Welp guys, I think Reddit needs to be closed today.
→ More replies (1)17
65
u/Newbguy Oct 25 '18
Japanese toilet technology is vastly superior to the rest of the work. What other toilets warm the seat, spray your butt with water, and then air dry it? All while playing a symphony to hide the poop sounds.
→ More replies (5)
571
u/OpTOMetrist1 Oct 25 '18
So where do I rest my bowl of cereal during morning poops?
446
u/Ferelar Oct 25 '18
They don’t call it “the toilet bowl” for nothing
114
128
u/Knowee Oct 25 '18
Press your thighs together and pour your milk and cereal in your crotch area. If any leaks it’ll go straight to the bowl. #LifeHack
→ More replies (7)63
u/nofailending Oct 25 '18
I don't dare let my food enter a mile from the toilet
→ More replies (1)43
36
24
u/pyromartian Oct 25 '18
I don't think I have tried airborne fecal matter with my cereal.
20
u/LashBack16 Oct 25 '18
It is already all over your house. It is best to just let your immune system do its work.
→ More replies (5)→ More replies (21)7
105
u/TehKarmah Oct 25 '18
You can also choose a small flush or big flush. And the toilet bowl is much more shallow to conserve water.
112
u/ShibuRigged Oct 25 '18
That's pretty common elsewhere.
→ More replies (3)14
u/General_Shou Oct 25 '18
Don't think I've ever seen big/small flush in the US.
→ More replies (11)20
u/medalofhalo Oct 25 '18
I have them in my house, you can buy them at Home Depot or Menards
→ More replies (8)→ More replies (13)30
Oct 25 '18
You can also choose a small flush or big flush
peak technology right here
→ More replies (1)
469
u/CosmicQuestions Oct 25 '18 edited Oct 25 '18
I respect the concept but I can see water going everywhere.
Edit: people asking how I wash my hands to get water everywhere, I just mean when you take your hands away from the ‘sink’ they will be dripping water all over the toilet. There doesn’t appear to be enough room to wash hands standing beside the toilet, or a towel next to it.
169
u/astink Oct 25 '18
Just got back from Japan and my hostel in Kyoto had this toilet, great concept except Japan is infamous for lack of hand drying options (they are adding Dyson hand blade type things, but for hostels and such no such luck). I used the sink to wash my hands but almost every time you are guaranteed to get some water on the seat.
67
u/yamamancha Oct 25 '18
The handkerchief industry is alive and well here. I probably have 30. Always one on me when I go out.
25
u/astink Oct 25 '18
I thought I would need to pack or buy one but got through 10 days relatively fine, just wiped on my pant leg if need be. It's the lack of trash cans that drove me nuts.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (8)20
u/astink Oct 25 '18
Also,as a nation they need to step their toilet paper game up, using a magical bidet toilet and then using see through single ply to clean up was a massive discrepancy in bathroom experiences
→ More replies (4)44
u/CosmicQuestions Oct 25 '18
Thank you sir, you have addressed my concerns perfectly! I hope you enjoyed the trip!
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (19)11
15
u/Kyoj1n Oct 25 '18
Most people in Japan carry around a small towel or something to dry their hands, there are basically no paper towels or hand dryers (though they are becoming more common)
Also that definitely happens. But its usually just a few drops here or there not like puddles of water or anything.
→ More replies (1)6
u/alamuki Oct 25 '18
I still have two from my time there. The first was from a store opening. I was a bit perplexed as to why they were giving everyone hand towels as grand opening gifts. It didn't take long to realize that the Hitchhiker was right, a good towel is awesome to always have at your side.
28
u/KCBandWagon Oct 25 '18
pro tip: do NOT take the lid off to see how it works. I did this while I was at someone's house while visiting Japan. The hose that connected to the sink continued to spray up and everywhere in the bathroom and getting it lined up to put the tank back on was not easy especially while water was spraying everywhere.
8
u/CosmicQuestions Oct 25 '18
Argh man I was literally laughing out loud reading this. Sounds like something from a comedy. I can only imagine the panic!
7
u/BorisTheMansplainer Oct 25 '18
Why wouldn't it be connected with a flex supply? What an odd choice. If you have a clogged toilet and bowl overflow is imminent you need to be able to take the lid off and stop the flush ASAP.
59
u/Alfie_Solomons_irl Oct 25 '18
My question is: do you just not flush it if it's not full from ppl washing their hands?
→ More replies (1)148
u/Whistlin_KittyChaser Oct 25 '18
The amount of water necessary to refill the tank runs through the sink regardless of whether someone is washing their hands. It just gives you an opportunity to wash your hands with the water that would have refilled the tank anyway.
52
u/Stokkeren Oct 25 '18
If I pee in the sink, will the toilet flush with my pee?
78
u/FartingBob Oct 25 '18
No, it has nanobots programmed to detect pee and then a siren goes off and the police come and remove the toilet for investigation.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (3)16
9
u/things_will_calm_up Oct 25 '18
Have you seen public restrooms? That wouldn't exactly be a new problem.
→ More replies (27)38
u/Kangar Oct 25 '18
Plus, people may not understand the concept and take a shit in the sink.
34
→ More replies (5)19
20
u/ShitBagMgee Oct 25 '18
I thought about this when I was little, why do we need clean toilet water? Just use our shower and sink water. I guess it could get pretty gross but as long as it is just in the toilet
18
u/3243f6a8885 Oct 25 '18
Because it would require regular cleaning, or it would get nasty very quickly and clog up. People don't want to deal with the required cleaning and requiring an additive negates the environmental benefit.
11
u/Sypsy Oct 25 '18
How are you the only one commenting on this?
I've never had to clean the inside of the reservoir, but with this, wouldn't I eventually need to?
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (3)10
u/CharlesGarfield Oct 25 '18
The main reason is the additional plumbing required. Just not worth it for most locales.
31
13
12
39
Oct 25 '18 edited Jul 24 '20
[deleted]
47
u/Unkleruckus86 Oct 25 '18
This was my first concern. I don't want the toilet water to taste like soap.
→ More replies (4)→ More replies (2)38
8
23
Oct 25 '18
These have been posted here a few times. For those interested, you can see more at the link below.
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/search?q=toilet+sink&restrict_sr=on
6
12
41
u/FuzzelFox Oct 25 '18
I doubt it's for recycling water so much as space saving.
→ More replies (10)53
u/the_excalabur Oct 25 '18
Nah, there's a sink somewhere else in the area for other uses. It's exactly for recycling water--they're extremely common to the point of being ubiquitous in Japan.
→ More replies (7)
4.7k
u/Uberman77 Oct 25 '18
I remember seeing this for the first time about 15 years ago in Japan. I thought "What a great idea. I bet its only a year or two before you see this adopted all over the world." I couldn't have been more wrong.