#11 Japanese Trains and Toilets

In this episode of the KoreKara Podcast, Eric and Raza talk about the perception of Japanese technology in the west, starting with the advent of the high-speed rail or Shinkansen. The conversation quickly derails into an entire episode discussing the minute details of the Japanese washlet and the fascination with the technology. Eric and Raza talk about different innovations of Japanese Toilets and discuss optimizations like you've never seen them before.

In western culture, Japanese Technology is often seen as high-tech or more advanced than other countries, in part due to the influence that Japan has had over western media and innovations. Companies such as Toyota, Sony and Panasonic have brought a lot of innovation to western countries in the 90s and 2000s, but have sort of stagnated in innovation compared to the high-tech software companies that you might find in Silicon Valley. It appears that the tendency for Japanese companies is to continue to use products that work, and innovate vertically. There is less demand for creating new markets or innovating like the way that the west has in the past several decades.

However, there are still certain aspects of Japanese technology that the west still fail to catch up to, namely the Shinkansen or High-Speed Rail. California has had projects for numerous of years to develop a High-Speed Rail, connecting major cities like Los Angeles to San Francisco. Such a system would benefit the life of millions who travel frequently between thoes two tech hubs. Many countries in Asia have recruited the engineers from Japan to build similar technology, or simply have reverse engineered the same technology. Countries like Taiwan have had a growing High-Speed Rail system for over a decade.

Another aspect that the west has not adopted as of yet is the advent of an advanced washlet in every household. In Japan, almost everywhere that you look you will find these highly advanced electric-powered toilets, which featured warmed seats and a built in bidet. This technology not only improves the user experience of someone using the toilet, it also improves efficiency and cleanliness. It is a mystery as to why the west has not chosen to adopt this technology into their culture, but we speculate the reason as to cultural barriers.

We continue to discuss the innovations of the Japanese Toilet and different ways that it could be innovated even further, such as with more voice commands, analytics, recognition, or even activities for you to do while you are using the toilet.

Lastly, we compare the entire concept of public toilets in Japan versus public toilets in America. The collective mindset of the average Japanese person to be conscientious of things that you use in public is what keeps the average public toilet in Japan so clean and welcoming to use, whereas the toilets you might find in a public restroom in the United States may not be the same.