For a device that receives human excrement, you would think that aesthetics and value would be the lowest of priorities. But not in Japan...first, Japan gave the world hi-tech lavatories. Now, a crystal lavatory studded with more than 72,000 pieces of Swarovski cut crystal and valued at over $100,000 (£64,000).
Lavatory manufacturer INAX teamed up with the Austrian jeweller to create the ornate fixture, which is on display in a showroom in the posh Ginza shopping district, an effort to draw more customers in a year fraught with economic gloom and natural disaster.
In a nod to traditional belief, the sparkling lavatory was created to please the "god of lavatories," said Kazuo Sumimiya, director of the showroom for the Lixil interior fixture company of which INAX is a part.
"In Japan, we takes deities very seriously and we believe a deity exists in the lavatory. That's why keeping lavatories clean and taking good care of it have been a Japanese custom since long ago," he added. "If we were to sell it, it would probably be worth around 10 million yen ($130,000)."
Visitors admired the dazzling fixture, with one woman saying she'd like to invite her friends and hold a party around it. Onlookers loved the centerpiece, while others felt that it would be a bit too uncomfortable to use. What do you think???
-telegraph-
