This Japanese Toilet Conserves Water In The Coolest Way

Japanese-style toilets are designed with sustainability and comfort in mind. In this TikTok, a creator living in Japan shows her modern toilet which comes with a heated seat, a bidet, and an in-built sink above the water closet tank. "When you flush the toilet, water comes out of a faucet that sits at the top of the commode. That water is then used for the next flush," @nicole_does_japan explains.

The way this feature works is that the sink on top disperses clean water to wash your hands after using the toilet. As it drains, it goes back into the WC system to be recycled for the next flush. This cool setup helps to save a lot of water while presenting a space-saving solution for small bathrooms. The bidet — which has been proven to be a more efficient and sanitary cleaning method – also saves resources by cutting down on toilet paper usage.

This type of toilet can be purchased as a complete unit or bought in parts to modify an existing WC setup. Generally, the unit has a high price point and the combo will also cost more if you choose to have both cold and hot water connected to the sink. Home Depot, for example, sells the 17-inch by 9-inch SinkPositive GreenFlow toilet tank sink add-on for about $95. This product is designed to automatically run after flushing so people can wash their hands without touching the faucet.

In addition to taking up less space, this Japanese toilet doesn't require any additional plumbing and even saves space since the pipes for the toilet and sink are in the same place. One downside of the toilet sink setup is that you'll have a tiny sink that can't be used for a lot more than handwashing. It can also be uncomfortable to reach over the toilet bowl and might not be accessible for every body type.