The New York Times:

For those who own Japanese toilets, there is a cultish devotion. They boast heated seats, a bidet function for a rear cleanse and an air-purifying system that deodorizes during use. The need for toilet paper is virtually eliminated (there is an air dryer) and “you left the lid up” squabbles need never take place (the seat lifts and closes automatically in many models).

When I was in Tokyo and had to use one of these, I was completely embarrassed by my inability to figure out how to use it. I literally had to ask my host how to operate the toilet.