A Game of Toilets: Bathroom Thrones Fit for Royalty

Toilets are one of the world’s most useful inventions: without them, we may still be dropping our waste on buckets and bed chambers. Little do some people know that this sanitary fixture has been around for thousands of years; the first ones appeared in 3,000 BC in Mojenho-Daro in modern day Pakistan. Back in the day, those toilets were made of stone and bricks.

The flush toilets we have today are more sophisticated than those a thousand years ago, but like digital technology, toilet tech and “improvements” are ongoing. Some may be seen as necessary, but others border the line between outrageous and luxurious. So, let’s check out some of the world’s most bizarre toilets around the world:

A Toilet Made of Gold

The Golden Bathroom. Photo from ABC News.

Not just the toilet actually, but the whole bathroom. No, you won’t find these in Buckingham Palace or in the castles of modern monarchs: you will find this in Hang Fung Gold Technology’s showroom in Hong Kong. The toilets, sink, tiles and just about everything in the display is made of solid gold, costing over $29 million dollars. This bathroom is definitely something royal families in the past would want to have.

A Toilet and a Washer

Popularly called bidets, these toilets have water nozzles just below the toilet seat which helps clean your privates after a satisfying stool session. In Japan however, these toilets do not only come installed with water nozzles, they also have blow dryers and a soap dispenser. They may be electronically powered or not, but nevertheless, these toilets definitely beat cleaning your privates with toilet paper!

Jokes aside, these toilets are useful for people who have hemorrhoids: a jet of warm water every stool session will certainly bring relief and help soothe the pain!

An Out of This World Toilet

If astronauts eat in a different way in zero gravity, don’t they also answer the call of nature in another manner? The first American in space, Alan Shepard had to pee, given that he had endured five hours of delays. Of course, he had to let it go, prompting NASA to devise ways to take care of their astronauts.

NASA bought a $19 million, Russian-owned design for the International Space Station. What did they get? Well, not a golden toilet but a highly unglamorous one which comes with leg restraints, thigh bars and the ability to dry solid waste to kill bacteria and odor. And have we mentioned that it turns human pee into drinking water?

Hi-tech Toilet

Japan is one of the world’s most advanced technology hubs: remember, they built robots and gave us the best video game consoles! Anyway, the success of their technology also translates to the bathroom: about 72% of Japanese bathrooms are equipped with the Toto toilet which is undoubtedly the world’s most technologically-advanced toilets in the whole world. Toto is one of the three largest plumbing companies in the East Asian country, and is present in 16 other nations.

How advanced is this toilet? Well, it includes a heated seat (it can get cold in Japan), deodorization, and it doubles as a bidet, since it comes equipped with a water nozzle for washing your privates. Its best feature? The ability to put the toilet seat down for you – the inability to do so is the root of many disagreements in homes around the world.

Overall, be thankful for toilets; these bathroom fixtures are where your fiber-rich snacks end up, and are the reason why your home doesn’t smell!