There’s nothing us Brits love more than a bit of toilet humour so when I heard there was a museum devoted to such matters I thought it was a place I just had to see.

Whenever I hear the word Toto two things come to mind. One of them is the American rock band famed for the early 80s hit single ‘Africa‘ and then there’s the toilet manufacturer. The latter has a museum in Kitakyushu, the northern tip of Japan’s most southern main island. This elegant two-story museum was actually the most famous of all the places I went to during my eight hours in Kitakyushu but was going there the excrement idea that I thought it would be?

Once I was done at the Kitakyushu Municipal Museum of Art I took a bus to the centre of Kokura for my next museum experience. Those of a sensitive nature are warned to not dare show their feces around here as we’re about to plumb to low depths and deposit some factual toilet matter.

A toilet motorcycle! Yes really!!

Beforehand I really was just expecting some quirky little museum but it’s a sizeable place that really takes itself seriously with displays taking the visitors through the history of toilets and Toto’s innovative sanitary equipment, including early ceramics and modern washlets.

It’s a human experience that everyone can relate to although I’m not sure whether such a functional part of daily life is appealing to all.

Toto’s most famous product is the washlet and it’s possible to see the inner workings of such technological development. I’m not one for getting too bogged down by such details though and just wish other Japanese industries would innovate as much as Toto has done as the country lags behind in software and digitilisation.

The amount of information and exhibits in the museum is a little overwhelming but the evolution of toilets and other Toto products over the decades is a highlight.

It includes toilet bowls, washlets, urinals, bathtubs and fittings.

Overall, this museum was probably too serious for my liking but you cannot argue with the free entry which makes it well worth a visit if you have a bit of spare time. I’m definitely glad that I went and got it all out of my cistern! I had hoped that my exit from the museum would put a lid on the matter but a grim toilet adventure of sorts followed at my next destination!

• Toto Museum is located at 2-1-1 Nakashima, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka-ken. It is open from 10:00 till 5:00 pm between Tuesday and Sunday. Entrance is free.

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