家庭で使う水は風呂やシャワーが一番多いと考えがちだが、実はトイレが28％で一番多い。水は作ったり送ったりするときに二酸化炭素を排出している。だから節水型トイレを世界中で使用したら、水を2億トン減らせる上に、12万トンの二酸化炭素が削減できるそうだ。現在トイレの水の使用量はアメリカ、ヨーロッパなどでは1回6リットルが基準だそうだ。以前は13リットルだったから随分節約できている。この数値は限界かもしれないが、今も競争が続けられている。 同時に快適なトイレの開発も進められてきた。日本では自動便座の蓋の開閉・温かい便座・擬音装置・お尻シャワー洗浄・三角折り器・自動便器洗浄・大小レバーつきなど至れり尽くせりだ。更に2010年の上海万博では音楽まで流れる究極の機能付きの「世界一快適なトイレ」が出品され、使用希望者が多くて抽選になるほどの人気だったそうだ。しかし実際には不要な機能もある。便座の蓋の開閉や洗浄はセンサーが効いて自動的に行われるが、そこまでやる必要があるのか疑問だ。自分の手を使わないから衛生的だと言うのだろうか。また使用後トイレットペーパーの角を三角に折ってくれる三角折り器はそんな習慣がない外国人には理解できないだろう。擬音装置は駅やデパートなど公の女性トイレに使われることが多い。擬音装置を使うと水は流れないが、音を出すために電気が使われる。だからあまり節約になっていないのではないかと思う。大小レバーは、水をたくさん流したいときと少しでいいときに分けて使用できる合理的な装置なので、外国製品にもつけてほしい。今では世界的に有名になったシャワーお尻洗浄装置は1度使ったら病みつきになるだろう。節水には反するが、この普及は止められないだろう。世界一快適な日本のトイレだが、売れ行きは世界一ではない。1番はスペインの会社で約3800万個作っているそうだ。 日本の会社はやっと4番目だ。便器は陶器だし、重いので日本から輸出するのが難しいという事情もあるだろう。しかし世界の人たちはそんなに多機能のトイレを必要としていないのかもしれない。快適なトイレがある一方で世界の24億人にまだ衛生的なトイレがない。不衛生なトイレは病気の原因になる。 ユニセフによると年間200万人の5歳未満の子供達が安全な水や衛生的なトイレがないために下痢性疾患で死亡しているそうだ。学校にトイレが無いために女の子が恥ずかしくて学校に行けないと言う話もある。衛生的なトイレの普及を進めるために多機能トイレの価格に寄付金100円ほどを加算して売ったら良いのではないだろうか。100円払うことを躊躇する消費者はいないだろう。それで多くの地域に衛生的なトイレが出来たら素晴らしいと思うのだが。
People often assume that the largest water usage in a household is for baths and showers, but in fact, toilets account for the most at 28%. Water releases carbon dioxide during its production and transportation. Therefore, if water-saving toilets were used worldwide, it is said that 200 million tons of water could be saved and 120,000 tons of carbon dioxide could be reduced. Currently, the standard water usage for toilets in the US, Europe, and elsewhere is 6 liters per flush. Since it was previously 13 liters, a significant amount has been saved.
This figure may be the limit, but competition continues to this day. At the same time, the development of comfortable toilets has also progressed. In Japan, automatic toilet seats are equipped with everything one could ask for, including automatic lid opening and closing, heated seats, sound masking devices, bidet sprays, triangular folding tools, automatic flushing, and levers for both large and small flushes. Furthermore, at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, a 'world's most comfortable toilet' with ultimate features, including music playback, was exhibited and was so popular that users had to enter a lottery to use it.
However, there are also unnecessary features in reality. The opening and closing of the toilet lid and the washing function are performed automatically by sensors, but one might question whether it is really necessary to go that far. Perhaps they claim it is hygienic because you do not use your hands. Additionally, the triangular folding device that folds the corner of the toilet paper into a triangle after use would likely be incomprehensible to foreigners who do not have such a habit. Sound-masking devices are often used in public women's restrooms, such as those at train stations and department stores.
When using a sound-generating device, water does not flow, but electricity is consumed to produce the sound. Therefore, I think it does not really save resources. The large and small levers are a rational device that allows you to use a lot of water when needed and a little when not, so I hope foreign products are also equipped with this feature. The bidet shower, which has now become world-famous, is something you will surely get hooked on after using it once. Although it goes against water conservation, its spread is likely unstoppable.
Japan's toilets are the most comfortable in the world, but their sales are not the highest. The top company is Spanish, producing about 38 million units. Japanese companies are only in fourth place. It may be difficult to export from Japan because toilets are made of ceramic and are heavy. However, people around the world may not need such multifunctional toilets. While there are comfortable toilets, 2.4 billion people in the world still do not have sanitary toilets. Unsanitary toilets are a cause of disease.
According to UNICEF, approximately 2 million children under the age of five die each year from diarrheal diseases due to a lack of safe water and hygienic toilets. There are also reports of girls being too embarrassed to attend school because their schools lack toilets. Should we consider adding a donation of about 100 yen to the price of multi-functional toilets to promote the spread of hygienic toilets? Surely, no consumer would hesitate to pay 100 yen.
I think it would be wonderful if many areas had hygienic toilets.
