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People we know ask us why we want to go to Japan so badly. Aside from the obvious, “because I’ve never been,” Japan has always been a Mecca for technology buffs. While it can be debated whether Japan is actually more technologically advanced than the rest of the world—in some ways Japan lags behind, such as the adoption of debit cards and other electronic funds transfers over cash—it is true that the Japanese have different attitudes about technology than the rest of the world.

In a recently published book entitled “Loving the Machine: The Art and Science of Japanese Robots” author Timothy N. Hornyak explains that traditionally the Japanese have seen robots—or, for that matter, the mechanical puppets that preceded them—as helpers and friend while westerners always seem to think that such inventions will inevitably turn against its masters.  This is partly why Japan leads the world in humanoid robot technology and is looking to robots to help care for a rapidly aging population.

Another area in which Japan seems to be ahead of the rest of the world is toilet technology. I’ve mentioned Japanese toilets in a previous post and, while I don’t want anyone to think that I’m obsessed with such matters, they are truly impressive. Not only do they have heated seats that raise and lower automatically but they also have built in bidets and some even MP3 players as well as other devices to mask embarrassing noises. I saw one of these toilets at Morimoto Restaurant in New York and can attest to their complexity and sophistication. It took me 20 minutes to figure out which button to push just to flush it. (By the way, some of these toilets have different flushes for “number one” and “number two,” if you know what I mean.)

In an ironic twist that seems straight out of a science fiction movie (a western one, of course), Japanese toilets seem to have turned on their masters. A story from the AP was recently featured in the Japundit Blog as well as its Japan Talk Podcast about a recall of Japanese toilets after at least 105 units had caught on fire. According to the news report, “The Japan Warm Water Bidet Council…” Yes, there is such a body, “…urged bidet users to be careful, saying on its Web site that units should be turned off immediately at the first sign of trouble.” (No kidding!)

All joking aside, this quirky mix of technological eccentricity coupled with a rich history and culture is part of why Japan is such a mystery and thus extremely appealing to many of us Gaijin.

To learn more about Japanese humanoid robots, visit to Timothy N. Hornyak’s blog. To learn more about Japan in general try the following podcasts: Japan Talk, Planet Japan, Rich Pav’s Herro Flom Japan and Metropolis Magazine Podcast.