To cover the sound of bodily functions, many women used to flush public
toilets continuously while using them, wasting a large amount of water
in the process.[42] As education campaigns did not stop this practice, a device was introduced in the 1980s[4]
that, after activation, produces the sound of flushing water without
the need for actual flushing. A Toto brand name commonly found is the Otohime (音姫, lit. "Sound Princess," also homophone with a legendary goddess Otohime). This device is now routinely placed in most new public women's rooms, and many older public women's rooms have been upgraded.[42] The Otohime
may be either a separate battery-operated device attached to the wall
of the toilet, or included in an existing washlet. The device is
activated by pressing a button, or by the wave of a hand in front of a
motion sensor. When activated, the device creates a loud flushing sound
similar to a toilet being flushed. This sound either stops after a
preset time or can be halted through a second press on the button. It is
estimated that this saves up to 20 liters of water per use.[4] However, some women believe that the Otohime sounds artificial and prefer to use a continuous flushing of the toilet instead of the recorded flush of the Otohime.[43]
Toyotama-hime (豊玉姫) (Japanese for "luminous jewel"), better known as Otohime (乙姫), is a goddess in Japanese mythology, and is featured in the Kojiki as well as Nihon Shoki. She is the beautiful daughter of Ryūjin, the god of the sea. She married the hunter Hoori and gave birth to a son, who in turn produced Emperor Jimmu, the first Emperor of Japan. After giving birth, she turned into a dragon or a wani and flew away.
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