In Japan, Expect Your Toilet to Make Some Noise

Japan's famously high-tech toilets are getting a new upgrade: sound-masking devices designed to cover up the less melodic realities of public restrooms. These gadgets, often called Otohime, or "Sound Princess," are now a staple in Japanese bathrooms, emitting everything from rushing water to birdsong with the push of a button. The goal? To spare users embarrassment and save water by reducing the number of flushes used to drown out other noises, reports the New York Times.

Although these devices have been present in women's restrooms in Japan for some time, it's not just the ladies using them anymore, either. "As younger men are more sensitive about toilet noise, it's being installed in men's rooms as well," says Tsukasa Matsuyama of Toto, the company behind the Sound Princess. And with public bathrooms in Japan increasingly designed without gender distinctions, the devices are finding fans across the spectrum—including among transgender people, who've been consulted by Toto on bathroom issues.

The devices are even becoming a target for hackers and hobbyists, with one viral parody playing the theme from a samurai TV drama. The concept of masking toilet sounds isn't new in Japan, where ancient temples used urns to splash water and mask noises centuries ago. The modern version emerged during a 1979 drought, when electronic sound devices were introduced as a water-saving measure. Today, Toto's technicians scour the country for the perfect nature sounds to record, while competitors are adding their own twists—like a Formula One engine roar at a racetrack rest stop.

Voice artist Donna Burke, who grew up double-flushing out of embarrassment in Australia, is now selling her own version, Royal Flushh, which plays forest sounds and will soon offer everything from classical music to artillery fire. As Burke puts it, "People just don't know they need it until someone shows them." A North Carolina transplant documents what other surprising differences she's found in Japan since her family moved there, including heated seats and bidets in public restrooms. Meanwhile, more here on Burke, who's brought "Japanese toilet etiquette" back home Down Under with her.