Toto Catches on Fire

This would be news even if it were Dorothy's dog on the Wizard of Oz.

It's a different Toto; the leading toilet maker in Japan.

I admit, everytime I visited a public toilet in Japan to do my business, I thought of Dorothy, Kansas and her little mutt.

After 30 units (is that how you count toilets?) caught on fire or sent up smoke signals, TOTO Ltd is offering free repairs on 180,000 bidet toilets.

Imagine if the moment when you sat down and relieved some and a fire started at the same time. Yowzer!

Toto has made high-tech toilets with pressurized water sprayers a standard in Japanese homes.

For $1680-2600 some sitters (as opposed to squatters) offer:

1. a pulsating massage spray

2. a power dryer

3. built-in-the-bowl deodorizing filter

4. the "Tornado Wash" flush

5. a lid that opens and closes automatically

6. seats with MP3 players

and now…a fire!

What? I wonder, do users have to take their seat in for repairs or will Toto make house calls?

Or will Toto come fetch it for you?