Clean and green.

Bukamal's new Toto showroom in Bahrain offers a complete bathroom experience, reports K S SREEKUMAR

Toto, Japan's leading producer of sanitaryware, has teamed up with Bahrain's Bukamal group to launch a showroom in the kingdom.

A name synonymous with the advancement of bathroom culture since its creation in 1917, Toto brings to Bahrain, under one roof, products that satisfy all bathroom needs.

'Toto's technological innovations and high standard of quality have made it an iconic and much-loved brand in Japan. And with consumers demanding an ever-more luxurious and fulfilling bathroom experience, the time is right for the world's most sophisticated bathroom products to enter the Bahrain market, elevating the bathroom from the merely functional to the restorative and meditative,' says Bukamal group chairman Jehad Hassan Bukamal.

Clean technology is the phrase that best sums up what Toto is about. It is a principle that has guided the company since its founding, and is a completely new concept for the region. Toto's life-enhancing clean technology is set to revolutionise the region, comments Toto business development manager Timothy Vinson.

Just as technology has revolutionised every aspect of contemporary life, Toto's innovations are changing the way people think about and use bathrooms. Toto, which has a showroom in Dubai, embraces technology in the pursuit of cleanliness, the same way it is embraced in the workplace for efficiency, or in social environments for communication and leisure, says Vinson.

'Toto's products allow for previously unimaginable levels of cleanliness, relaxation and contentment. Cleaning with warm water is not only hygienic, it is enjoyable and comfortable for everyone from children to seniors. Clean technology is all about making time spent in the bathroom more fulfilling,' he explains.

Toto discreetly incorporates clean technology into its products with a sophisticated eye for design. This results in high aesthetic standards for both individual items that blend unobtrusively into their surroundings, and for perfectly coordinated suites, he says.

'But the Toto design philosophy goes beyond aesthetics: every product facilitates easy, comfortable usage for every potential user, from children to the elderly, providing clean technology for everyone.

'For technology to be truly clean it must do more than enhance personal cleanliness -- it must also lead to a cleaner, greener environment. Every time you use a Toto bathroom, the planet benefits. In addition to our general mantra of saving energy and water wherever possible, other eco-friendly effects are achieved with our products -- our custom ceramic surfaces require fewer chemicals for cleaning; one of our technologies breaks down air pollutants, similar to the way a tree breaks down carbon; and some of our fixtures are powered by water pressure alone. All of these features are sustainable,' he continues.

Toto is headquartered in Kokura, a port town on the northern edge of Japan's Kyushu island. It is the mother factory and technology centre of a brand that employs 40,000 people worldwide.

This is where Toto's research and development team of over 1,000 employees conceives and perfects the technological innovations -- from the Washlet and Neorest through to CeFiONtect and Hydrotect glazings -- that have allowed Toto to redefine Japanese bathroom culture, says Hassan Ansari, division manager, research and development, Bukamal.

It's also where the bulk of the manufacturing takes place. Under the expert eyes of highly skilled and experienced designers and engineers, the factory produces the faucets, basins, showers, baths and toilets that are prevalent throughout Japan.

Toto's markets outside of Japan are growing year by year: In addition to Europe there are showrooms in 13 other countries, though all overseas production is controlled from Kokura.

Elaborating on some of Toto's products in the new showroom, Vinson says the Washlet technologies that make the Toto Neorest Series/LE Toilet unique include an automatic opening and shutting lid, a toilet seat that is warm even when the room is cold, a water stream designed to create better cleansing, an air-dryer, a unique flushing system and a microscopically smooth ceramic glazing that helps maintain impeccable hygiene. It also incorporates Toto's translucent Luminist material into its push plate, keeping it consistent with the rest of the range.

He continues: 'The Neorest Series/LE Washbasin is made entirely from the durable Luminist material -- it glows seductively when the embedded Led lights are switched on and appears serene and translucent in daylight. Instead of a traditional tap, this washbasin has a knob control that adjusts temperature and waterfall flow from the elegant spout, with changing colours for different temperatures.'

Toto offers 13 exquisite ranges in its Suite Collection, that include Cocktail, Jewelhex, Lloyd, Avante, Nexus and Clayton. Every suite offers a unique experience designed to meet customers high expectations, from bold designs to lavish cuts yet simply adorable and affordable.

Toto's clean technology innovations include the water-saving, dirt-busting Tornado Flush system; the hygiene-enhancing, easy-to-clean CeFiONtect surface coating; and automatic open, close and flush functions. That's in addition to the Washlet, which has revolutionised bathroom culture in Japan with 25 million units sold and counting.

With CeFiONtect, an acronym for 'Ceramic Fine Ion Technology', Toto is able to cover the surface of ceramics with a super-smooth glaze. This glaze can prevent any waste particles, bacteria or mould from attaching themselves to the surface. Effectively, Toto created a permanent stain-resistant surface that lasts for as long as the product is in use.

Toto's project references in the UAE include the Emirates Tower in Dubai, the World Trade Centre Residences in Dubai, Dubai Airport, the Dubai Mall and the JAL hotel in Fujairah. Elsewhere in the Gulf, its list includes the Kingdom Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; the Hilton and Ramada hotels and the Qatar Financial Tower, all in Doha, Qatar; and the Bahrain Financial Harbour (BFH), Al Maii Tower and Ibis Hotel, all in Bahrain.

Tech pioneer

Toto has successfully pioneered the development of super hydrophilic photocatalyst technology. This technology forms an ultra-thin layer of water on a material's surface and then makes the surface of various materials super hydrophilic (non-water repelling).

Materials coated with a super hydrophilic photocatalyst offer various benefits such as anti-fogging and self-cleaning properties, and makes them easier to clean with water.

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