Japan’s Toto launches service to help users find public toilets, check ‘congestion levels’
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Japanese toilet-maker Toto is hoping to ease long lines at women’s restrooms.
PHOTOS: UNSPLASH, TOTO LTD
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TOKYO – A newly launched service by Japan’s leading toilet manufacturer Toto allows users to check congestion in public restrooms at shopping malls and stations via their smartphones.
The move comes as facility managers have increasingly sought solutions to alleviate long lines at women’s restrooms, according to Toto.
As simply adding more toilets is not always feasible due to plumbing and drainage limitations, the service seeks to enable more efficient use of the facilities.
With the service, users can also notify facility staff if a particular toilet is dirty or unusable.
The service was introduced in August as an optional add-on to the company’s internet-connected toilet system for facility managers to centrally monitor settings such as seat temperature.
To find an available toilet, users scan a QR code at the entrance to the facility and other locations to access a website showing restroom locations and their congestion levels – “crowded”, “slightly crowded” or “vacant”. The service features floor maps and information on whether a restroom has high chairs or is wheelchair accessible.
If a user discovers an issue with a particular toilet, they can scan a QR code inside the stall to send a request for immediate cleaning or repair. Requests can also be made for toilet paper refills or garbage collection.
The feature was praised by users in pilot tests, with one saying: “I wished for this kind of feature when encountering very dirty toilets in the past.”
Mr Yoichi Nakayama, an official in Toto’s product sales promotion division, expressed hopes that the new service “will enhance user satisfaction in a facility by enabling a more efficient use of restrooms”. KYODO NEWS
