Lacquerware (known as shiki) is a Japanese craft with a wide range of fine and decorative arts, as lacquer has been used in urushi-e, prints, and on a wide variety of objects from Buddha statues to bento boxes for food. Now, add the toilets to this list.
Besides being know for its craft, Japan is famous for its toilets, so the Tochigi-based Sakamoto Co., Ltd. has decided to combine this two things in one. Thus, they created the Bidocoro luxury toilet, which is painted with lacquer and it is meant to be a showpiece of the Japanese art and craft style.
Bidocoro
The concept behind the toilets is to introduce the Japanese concept of omotenashi–hospitality, so the Bidocoro is set to be installed in tourist destinations such as hotels and other facilities that newcomers to the country will be passing through. Because the Bidocoro is expressly after the business market, Sakamoto is currently testing its product with the help of a toilet shop situated in Nikko, a popular tourist destination in Japan.
The name Bidocoro is a portmanteau of bidet and kokoro — meaning “spirit” or “mind” in Japanese. Really is appropriate, is not it?
Their toilets range from 330,000-770,000 yen ($2,910.32-$6,790.76 USD), with the sparkling crimson version running at a monstrous 10,000,000 yen ($88,193.151 USD). This special version has been unveiled at the annual Hotel and Restaurant Show in Tokyo last month.
Bidocoro
