ナショナルジオグラフィックさんのインスタグラム写真 - (ナショナルジオグラフィックInstagram)「Photo by Michael Yamashita @yamashitaphoto For a story on Kyushu, Japan, back in the ‘90s, I photographed the Toto Toilet “washuletto” assembly line, the world's first electronic water cleansing toilet seat. It features heated seats, a bidet function, and an air-purifying system that deodorizes during use. The need for toilet paper is virtually eliminated—units also have air dryers. And “you left the lid up” squabbles need never take place—the seat lifts and closes automatically in many models. It has become wildly popular throughout Asia, installed in most hotels and even on airplanes. A recent report by the U.S.-based Natural Resources Defense Council says that the global demand (and especially in the United States, the biggest consumer) for toilet paper—most of which is made from virgin wood fiber from Canada's boreal forest—is threatening both Indigenous peoples and wildlife as well as diminishing the forests' offsetting of greenhouse gases. This Japanese invention could be one answer to help save forests from humans' insatiable consumption, especially during the quarantine, when TP purchases have risen 40% in the U.S. #Toilet #Washlet #Toiletpaper #Kyushu #Japan」8月21日 3時41分