Reporting from Beijing — Like Goldilocks searching for the perfect perch, Dong Yu tested one seat after another in the glitzy showroom. Some were too pricey, others too fussy. Then he found one that was just right.
"You've got to try this," he shouted to his wife, to the delight of a fawning saleswoman. "This one's really comfortable."
The seat in question was a $400 toilet made by Japan-based Toto Ltd. Dong and his wife had just bought a 2,200-square-foot apartment in a tony section of China's capital and were prepared to splurge on a pair of eye-catching commodes. This model, with its slim tank and ultra-quiet flush, was exactly what the couple were looking for.
"Today, Chinese people like to focus on the kitchen and the bathroom in their new apartments," said Dong, 37. "It's a big difference from when I was a kid. We had to share public bathrooms, which only had squat toilets."