By Naoki Kawaguchi / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

Japanese toilet maker Toto Ltd. announced on Tuesday that total sales of its Washlet toilet seats have topped 70 million. This comes just three years and three months after sales reached 60 million units in August 2022, marking the fastest ever pace for selling 10 million units. Growth has been particularly strong in the United States, as global adoption accelerates.

First launched in Japan in 1980, the Washlet initially struggled. It took 18 years and one month to sell the first 10 million units, or until 1998. The product began taking off in Asia, Europe and the United States in the 2010s. It needed three years and eight months to go from 40 million to 50 million units, and three years and five months to then reach 60 million. The latest 10 million units were sold in two months' less time.

The United States has seen the strongest growth over the past five years. Amid toilet paper shortages caused by disruptions to shipping during the pandemic, the Washlet -- a bidet toilet seat that allows you to clean your rear end without toilet paper -- garnered significant attention. Unit sales in fiscal 2020 surged by 80% from the previous year and have continued growing since.

Toto views the Washlet as key for its expansion overseas. It aims to boost sales of the Washlet and enhance brand recognition, thereby driving sales of other products, including regular toilets and faucets.

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This article is from The Yomiuri Shimbun. Neither Dow Jones Newswires, MarketWatch, Barron's nor The Wall Street Journal were involved in the creation of this content.

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December 10, 2025 04:56 ET (09:56 GMT)

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