Did you know that yesterday, November 10, was "Good Toilet Day"? The quality of Japanese toilets is often praised from overseas, but those of us who take them for granted on a daily basis tend to forget their benefits.

We should not forget that TOTO releases the "Toilet Willow Grand Prize" on November 10 every year, a collection of toilet paper willow poems overflowing with love for toilets.


The Toilet Willow Grand Prize is a contest in which TOTO solicits episodes related to toilets, such as toilet failures and amusing stories, in the form of "5-7-5" willow. The top winning stories are printed on toilet paper and published as a "collection of willow" every year.


This year, the 10th edition of the contest, the "10th Toilet Willow Memorial Prize," the "Green Challenge Prize," the "10-10 (TOTO) Prize," and the "Kids Prize," a total of 26 phrases selected from 33,042 submissions, will be published. Some of the works are as follows.

It's a wonder that a clean toilet cannot be polluted (Kin-san V)/Grand Prize
I and the earth are relieved by Otohime (Winnie the Pooh)/Green Challenge Award
To put it bluntly, Japanese are not good at using the Japanese style (Machan)/10/10 Award

Other winning entries include poems filled with more love for toilets than one might imagine. If you take them to heart before wiping your buttocks, flush them down the drain while expressing your gratitude to the toilet.

The willow collection is priced at 350 yen (tax included). Available at bookstores, Bookshop TOTO (in-store only), and TOTO's website. Sales will end as soon as stock runs out.