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00:07 As soon as you sit down in a Japanese cafe or restaurant, you'll be given a moistened
00:15 hand towel, or "oshibori".
00:18 It's not just for cleaning your hands, it also makes you feel welcomed.
00:24 This custom began in the 17th century, when Japanese inns greeted guests with towels for
00:29 cleaning hands and feet.
00:31 It's still a symbol of "omotenashi", the Japanese ideal of hospitality.
00:38 Disposable oshibori made from non-woven fabric are now becoming common.
00:47 Traditional reusable cotton oshibori are collected and laundered by specialist contractors.
00:55 Repeated washing at a relatively low 70 degrees Celsius sterilizes the towels without harming
01:00 the fabric.
01:02 Then to be extra safe, they are disinfected with sodium hypochlorite.
01:09 Dry to just the right dampness, the clean oshibori are then rolled up and individually
01:14 packaged.
01:18 Towels must meet stringent hygiene standards before being supplied to cafes and restaurants.
01:23 "We need two or three stages of disinfection to fully clean the oshibori and ensure they
01:30 are completely safe to reuse.
01:35 Oshibori are an important expression of hospitality, making your customers feel at home, so everything
01:41 must be perfect."
01:45 In the cold winter months, many places use a special heater to provide customers with
01:49 nice warm oshibori.
01:54 Freshening up with a moistened towel gets you ready to enjoy your meal.
01:58 With an oshibori, you are being offered hospitality, or "omotenashi".
02:05 Narita Airport, the gateway to Japan.
02:10 Overseas visitors are always impressed by the spotlessly clean restrooms.
02:16 Many express surprise at the heated bidet-style toilets.
02:23 These have a nozzle that automatically extends and sprays warm, cleansing water.
02:30 "I felt very much relieved after using it."
02:37 This is Maritomo, an expert who spent many years researching and writing about toilet
02:42 technology.
02:45 The evolution of Japanese restrooms has produced many unique products, like the washlet.
02:50 "I think it's the Japanese attention to detail and delicacy that helped these toilet technologies
02:56 evolve. They're also inspired by our traditional ideal of hospitality."
03:02 Many of these toilet functions express the "omotenashi" spirit.
03:07 Sensors recognize you're approaching and raise the lid, so you never have to touch anything.
03:13 The recent innovation is a water spray to keep the bowl hygienic.
03:17 Instead of sterilizing chemicals, it uses electrolysis.
03:24 Maritomo has come to this park in Tokyo to check some new public toilets that are causing
03:28 headlines.
03:30 The first thing you notice is the colorful design.
03:33 "I like the use of different colors. That's a very creative touch, and it raised my sense
03:39 of anticipation."
03:40 The unique thing about those toilets in the park is their see-through walls. It was quite
03:46 a shock to see.
03:49 The walls are transparent when the restroom is not in use, but as soon as you enter and
03:54 lock the door, the interior is securely hidden.
04:00 A big merit is that after dark it's easy to check that there's no one suspicious lurking
04:04 inside.
04:08 And because you can see into these toilets from outside, you're always confident they'll
04:12 be spotlessly clean before you enter.
04:17 Maritomo points out another merit.
04:22 Because they're always so clean, you feel you must be extra clean too when using them.
04:26 Like a relay race, you are handing the baton of cleanliness on to the next person. A very
04:31 effective approach.
04:34 Cleanliness and hospitality. Two concepts very dear to the Japanese heart, and still
04:39 very much alive today.
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