Step into any public restroom stall in Japan and you’re likely to be enveloped in a soundscape. No, not that kind. It’s the babble of running water, perhaps peppered with cheerful tweets and birdsong, and it’s meant to transform the space into an auditory simulacrum of nature, perfect for responding to its call.
In Japan, sound-generating devices that do the job of courtesy flushes are commonplace, and while they come in a variety of forms, they’re often called Otohime, or “Sound Princess”, made by Japanese toilet maker Toto Ltd. It’s a form of bathroom etiquette where noises that can be embarrassing are drowned out by the roar of a rushing river, perhaps flecked with other sounds from nature. Some older models simply emit the recorded sound of a toilet flushing.
