STORY 3

The Evolution of the Third Space

STORY 3

The Evolution of the Third Space

Guest bathroom of coal mining tycoon Takatori Koreyoshi's residencein Saga prefecture, built in 1905.
Guest bathroom of coal mining tycoon Takatori Koreyoshi's residencein Saga prefecture, built in 1905.
Guest bathroom of coal mining tycoon Takatori Koreyoshi's residencein Saga prefecture, built in 1905.
(Former Takatori Residence, Saga © Katsuhisa Kida)

Blue & White

In the Meiji era, pottery toilets with elegant patterns of flowers, birds, and plants painted in blue became extremely popular amongst the more affluent. Presented here are some of the finest from INAX MUSEUMS' exquisite blue and white pottery toilet collection.

XSITE - Presenting the “Third Space”

In 1986, INAX opened XSITE, a signature showroom on the 37th floor of an office building within a newly launched business and cultural facilities complex, displaying a collection of 800 toilet bowls, wash stands, and baths from 30 manufacturers across 10 countries around the world. The showroom was to disrupt and change the prevailing attitudes towards toilets at the time, turning them from something dirty into an attractive piece of interior furniture. XSITE marked the start of the “Third Space” movement, changing the perception of bathrooms from just a functional space to take care of one's basic needs to a space of luxury and comfort.

The INAX XSITE show room in ARK Hills. (© LIXIL Museum)
Toilet designed by German industrial designer Luigi Colani and produced by Villeroy & Boch, displayed at XSITE. (© LIXIL Museum)
Copper basins produced by JANDELLE Paris, a French manufacturer of metal washbasins, sinks, and baths, displayed at XSITE. (© LIXIL Museum)

Toilet Innovation

(© LIXIL)

Since launching the first made-in-Japan shower toilet in 1967, LIXIL has continuously led the technological innovation of toilets, delivering new features that respond to the needs and desires of our customers. To make restrooms more spacious, we revised the overall layout of the control circuit and various components of the toilet in order to develop the smallest tank-less toilet in the world in 2001.

(© LIXIL)
LIXIL launched the first fully automatic toilet system. The lid automatically opens when the sensor detects human presence and closes when the user leaves.
(© LIXIL)

Our continuous quest for innovation includes many dimensions: comfort, ease of cleaning, interactivity, reduction of smell, water conservation, and aesthetics - all to deliver a better lifestyle and further comfort to restrooms.

(© LIXIL)

“100 years clean”: one of LIXIL's latest technological innovations includes toilet bowls made with a special new ceramic material that reduces stains and the build-up of bacteria, while retaining shine. Through such products, LIXIL provides opportunities to further reduce daily household chores while conserving the earth's precious resources.

As the Third Space evolves with new technology and innovation, toilets and bathrooms are becoming ever more significant within the modern Japanese home.

Ofurozuki - Japanese Passion for Bathing

(© LIXIL)

Many Japanese are ofurozuki - immensely fond of taking baths. As the Japanese archipelago consists of numerous volcanic islands, mineral-rich natural onsen (hot springs) can be found throughout the country. A dip in the onsen has been a popular treat for the Japanese for centuries.

(Beppu Hot Springs, “Umi Jigoku,” Oita © Yasuhiro Okawa)
Natural hot spring bath Hoshi Onsen Chojukan in Minakami, built in 1895, registered tangible cultural property of Japan.
(Hoshi Onsen Chojukan, Minakami, Tochigi © HIROSHI KURODA / SEBUN PHOTO / amanaimages)
Sento “Fukunoyu” in Tokyo, a typical traditional pubic bath in Japan. The mosaic tile mural of a sea scape beyond the pine forest gives an open-air feeling.
(Left: male bath, Right female bath).(Sento “Fukunoyu” in Tokyo,)

Bathing at Home

Before World War II, only affluent Japanese households had baths at home. In the early 20th century, home baths were typically made of wood or iron, but as the use of ceramics increased, tiled bathtubs became popular. Despite the influence of Western culture after the Meiji Restoration, with respect to bathing, the Japanese kept their tradition of cleaning first before soaking in the hot tub.

In the 1950s, the post-war development of housing apartments spread the number of homes with baths. No longer was making wooden tubs by hand a viable option and methods for mass production were sought after. Stainless steel tubs were produced, followed by fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) tubs in 1958, which triggered the growth of home baths and led to the development of modular bathtubs.

Bathroom with a wooden tub and filled with seto-hongyo ware tiles with floral design in underglaze brown. Wooden baths were dominant from early 17th century through the 1960s.
(Kamagaki-no-komichi Museum, Aichi © Yasuhiro Okawa)
Tiled home bath tub, photo taken in 1953.
(© LIXIL Museum)
fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) bath tub, photo taken in 1965.
(© LIXIL Museum)
(© LIXIL)

Baths in Japanese homes today are much more than just a space to manage one's personal hygiene. The bathrooms are more spacious and bathtubs are designed at the right incline to make them more comfortable to recline in. LIXIL's lineup includes a luxurious bath with a veil of hot water flowing over the neck, stimulating blood flow and helping to promote beauty and health at the same time, as shown above. There is no end to technological innovations, and we continue to pursue ever greater comfort and relaxation in the bath.

Installation portraying Foam Bath, exhibited at the Milano Salone in 2012 (© LIXIL)

Foam Bath is a conceptual bathing idea and was a popular feature at GROHE's exhibition at ISH 2015. LIXIL's R&D team designed a concept bath system where warm foam flows with the water source. The warm foam is designed not to flatten or cool down easily, allowing minimal water usage and maximum pleasurable time in the bath. Such a product could be environmentally friendly and provide ultimate joy and relaxation for the serious bather who likes to linger in the bath, allowing them to read a book or watch a movie wrapped in warm foam for hours. This is one example of creative thinking and pursuit of innovation within LIXIL.