世論 What Japan Thinks

I don’t know how these numbers compare with elsewhere in the world, but the results of this survey from VLC (Value Create) into toilets produced a few quite interesting results.

Demographics

Over the 19th and 20th of September 2013 1,045 members of VL Crew completed a private internet-based questionnaire. The sample was 50:50 male and female, and 20.0% in each of the twenties, thirties, forties, fifties and sixties age groups.

My home toilet has both a heated seat (lovely) and a bum squirter (yuk!). I used it once or twice when we first got it, but quite frankly I couldn’t see the point, and all the water down there melts toilet paper when I try to dry off afterwards.

Research results

Q1: Which of the following functions does your home toilet have? (Sample size=1,045, multiple answer)

Heated toilet seat	73.3%
Warm water bottom washer	67.2%
Deodoriser function	34.8%
Bidet function	33.1%
Bottom dryer	31.5%
Auto flush	12.8%
Sound Princess	2.6%
Other	0.3%
None of the above	25.1%

Q2: Which of the following functions do you use on your home toilet? (Sample size=1,045, multiple answer)

	All	Male N=523	Female N=522
Heated toilet seat	62.7%	61.2%	64.2%
Warm water bottom washer	55.2%	56.0%	54.4%
Deodoriser function	26.3%	26.2%	26.4%
Bidet function	19.7%	0.0%	39.5%
Bottom dryer	10.0%	12.0%	7.9%
Auto flush	8.6%	10.1%	7.1%
Sound Princess	1.4%	1.7%	1.1%
Other	0.3%	0.2%	0.4%
None of the above	30.4%	31.5%	29.3%

Q3: Which of the following functions, items do you use in toilets outside your home? (Sample size=1,045, multiple answer)

	All	Male N=523	Female N=522
Paper towel	41.8%	32.3%	51.3%
Warm water bottom washer	41.4%	53.0%	29.9%
Hand dryer	37.1%	28.7%	45.6%
Toilet seat cover sheet	31.8%	27.2%	36.4%
Toilet seat cleaning liquid	28.3%	23.7%	33.0%
Sound Princess	26.3%	4.2%	48.5%
Deodoriser function	12.9%	15.7%	10.2%
Bidet function	8.2%	0.0%	16.5%
Bottom dryer	7.5%	10.9%	4.0%
Other	0.1%	0.2%	0.0%
None of the above	20.7%	24.1%	17.2%

The following question was for the 59.6% who said they did not use the warm water washer in public toilets.

Q4: Why don’t you use the warm water bottom washing function in public toilets? (Sample size=612, multiple answer)

	All	Male N=246	Female N=366
Not needed	33.5%	42.3%	27.6%
Bothered that other people have used it	29.6%	13.8%	40.2%
Concerned about the cleanliness	28.3%	16.3%	36.3%
Too much bother	11.6%	12.2%	11.2%
Ecological reasons	2.9%	2.4%	3.3%
Don’t know how to use it	2.3%	2.4%	2.2%
Other	0.7%	0.4%	0.8%
Don’t know what the feature is	2.3%	3.3%	1.6%
There’s not many toilets with that feature	13.2%	20.3%	8.5%

Q3: Which of the following items do you have in your home toilet? (Sample size=1,045, multiple answer)

Toilet cleaning items	66.2%
Toilet paper holder	66.1%
Mat	60.7%
Slippers	57.2%
Deodorant spray, etc	56.5%
Towel	47.6%
Toilet seat cover	44.8%
Rubbish bin	35.0%
Toilet lid cover	31.5%
Calendar	30.8%
Clock	19.1%
Decorative objects	18.2%
Artificial flowers	17.7%
Picture	9.6%
Magazine, manga	5.8%
Photo	5.8%
Live flowers	5.5%
Book	2.9%
Other	1.6%
None of the above	4.9%

Q6: How often do you lock your home toilet door? (Sample size=1,045)

Always	18.9%
Often	14.6%
About half the time	5.9%
Rarely	31.4%
Never	29.1%

Q7: How and how often do you wash your hands after using the toilet in the following situations? (Sample size=1,045)

	Always, with soap	Always, sometimes with soap	Always, never with soap	Sometimes	Never
All, home, poo	38.1%	20.2%	34.4%	4.2%	3.1%
Male, home, poo n=523	33.7%	21.8%	35.9%	4.8%	3.8%
Female, home, poo n=522	42.5%	18.6%	33.0%	3.6%	2.3%
All, home, pee	19.3%	21.6%	42.2%	10.8%	6.0%
Male, home, pee n=523	16.4%	21.2%	41.9%	12.6%	7.8%
Female, home, pee n=522	22.2%	22.0%	42.5%	9.0%	4.2%
All, outside, poo	42.8%	24.2%	29.5%	1.8%	1.7%
Male, outside, poo n=523	39.0%	25.4%	30.8%	2.9%	1.9%
Female, outside, poo n=522	46.6%	23.0%	28.2%	0.8%	1.5%
All, outside, pee	28.2%	26.8%	37.7%	4.4%	2.9%
Male, outside, pee n=523	22.0%	27.2%	39.8%	7.1%	4.0%
Female, outside, pee n=522	34.5%	26.4%	35.6%	1.7%	1.7%

Q8: Do you stand or sit for a pee at home? (Sample size=523, male)

	Usually sit	Half and half	Usually stand
All	30.4%	16.3%	53.3%
Twenties N=103	43.7%	17.5%	38.8%
Thirties N=106	37.7%	17.0%	45.3%
Forties N=106	30.2%	14.2%	55.7%
Fifties N=102	19.6%	19.6%	60.8%
Sixties N=106	20.8%	13.2%	66.0%