日本推出10万美元水晶坐便器

First, Japan gave the world hi-tech lavatories¹. Now, a crystal lavatory² – studded with more than 72,000 pieces of Swarovski cut crystal and valued at over $100,000 (£64,000).

之前，日本曾发明过高科技坐便器，而今，又推出了水晶坐便器，镶满了超过7.2万颗施华洛世奇切割水晶，价值超过10万美元（6.4万英镑）。

First, Japan gave the world hi-tech lavatories. Now, a crystal lavatory – studded with more than 72,000 pieces of Swarovski cut crystal and valued at over $100,000
Lavatory manufacturer INAX teamed up with the Austrian jeweller（珠宝商） to create the ornate fixture³, which is on display in a showroom in the posh Ginza shopping district, an effort to draw more customers in a year fraught⁴ with economic gloom and natural disaster.

In a nod to traditional belief, the sparkling lavatory was created to please the "god of lavatories," said Kazuo Sumimiya, director of the showroom for the Lixil interior fixture company of which INAX is a part.

"In Japan, we believe a deity⁵（神） exists in the lavatory. That's why keeping lavatories clean and taking good care of it have been a Japanese custom since long ago," he added.

"If we were to sell it, it would probably be worth around 10 million yen⁶ ($130,000)."

Visitors admired the dazzling（耀眼的） fixture, with one woman saying she'd like to invite her friends and hold a party around it.

But others said it might be a bit too exalted⁷（高尚的，尊贵的） to be useful.

"It'd be hard. I don't think I'd feel comfortable enough to use it even if I had this at home," said 22-year-old Chikako Kawanami, an art museum receptionist.

The lavatory will be on display until the end of December.