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DAY
1008
Hiroshima here we are.
Good evening, everyone. It's Neoyama, the local staff.
This is Paul, the drawing card from where we stayed at this morning.
Isn't he so fluffy.
And indeed
he is very fluffy.
He seems to be slightly irritated.
Being sent off by cute and fluffy Paul,
today's journey started.
We have a long way to go today.
First, we head to Tokuyama Harbor (in Yamaguchi)
after riding the ferry from Takedadu Harbor.
After that, we have a 100km journey from Tokuyama to Hiroshima.
It's the third day for the rider Chiaki,
but we headed off with spirit!
The wind of the Seto Inland Sea we felt from the ferry deck was so pleasant.
We noticed some drivers were taking pictures when they were next to us,、
but please don't do that. For the sake of your safety.
Please take pictures when you are stopping, not driving.
The journey from Tokuyama Harbor went very well.
Thanks to the rider, Chiaki Hiratsuka,
we safely arrived at Hiroshima.
Sadly enough, we will have to say good-bye to Chiaki Hiratsuka here.
Thank you so much for the past 3 days!
From today for 2 days, we will be exhibiting the toilet bike in the TOTO Hiroshima showroomuntil the 10th.
Please come and take a look,
and ride on it, too.
Neo will be happy as well.
I will inform you about the next rider in this blog!
Don't miss it!
※Toilet Bike Neo was created in order to advertise TOTO's approach to the environment.
TOTO is not related at all with the production of biogas used as the bike fuel.
【Today's Eco-Corner】
Speaking of Seto Inland Sea, there are whirling waves there.
Speaking of whirling waves, there's tornado.
Yes, with the toornado-like water flow of the Tornado Cleaning of Neo Rest,
DAY
1007
Wow! The Butt Rock is a lot bigger than we thought!
Today we are starting from Kanda, Fukuoka.
We met so many people today as well!
This is probably his first time on a toilet.
We were surrounded by so many people...
It's not a surprise.
It's their first time seeing a toilet bike.
Since some people didn't know what this tank is,
I will briefly explain about it.
This tank is filled with "biogas" which is the fuel for the toilet bike.
Biogas emerges when barn animal waste and waste water from families are fermented.
Then, the gas is purified and compressed so that it can become the fuel for the bike.
So here we are.
The Butt Rock is so big!
I don't think Neo can handle this…
although he is trying to put it on top of him…
This is Kunisaki in Ooita prefecture.The sea was so beautiful.
Tomorrow we will go to Tokuyama Harbor, using the ferry from Takedadu Harbor.
Then we will head to Hiroshima!
※Toilet Bike Neo was created in order to advertise TOTO's approach to the environment.
TOTO is not related at all with the production of biogas used as the bike fuel.
【Today's Eco-Corner】
The Kurosaki Coast seen from Kunisaki was really beautiful.
We should be thinking about the water environment in order to protect this sea as well.
TOTO manages a water environment fund in order to support
organizations that creates a beautiful water environment.
DAY
1006
Acorns spinning, whirling swirling.
Here we are at the acorn forest.
【The story so far】
After ending the departure ceremony at the TOTO central office,
we headed to the acorn forest in Fukuchicho.
Good evening, everyone. It’s Neoyama, the local staff.
We finally started the Japan-crossing.
The first destination, Fukuchicho is 35km down south from Kokura,
with the population of 25,000.
TOTO grows acorns here.
As we were heading to the acorn forest…
we noticed this lovely signboard!
When we went close to it, we were welcomed warmly by the children.
Since we are heading to the acorn forest,they gave us the 4 songs;
“Donguri korokoro”; “Matsubokkuri”; “Tonbo no megane”;
and “Mushi no koe” as a present.
The sexy rider Hiratsuka was touched as well.
Of course, Toilet Bike Neo was crying out tears worth of 4.8liters.
The vice mayor gave us a big pear (the local speciality),
wishing us no accidents(accident nashi, since pear is nashi in Japanese).
It was so juicy and amazingly sweet!
Being touched by meeting wonder people,
we finally headed to the acorn forest./p>
Every employee in TOTO is in this acorn forest project.
We pick up the acorns with our own hands,
and then give the plant back to the forest with the help of the local people.
We do the mowing as well, after the planting.
Here, we decided to plant an acorn as our little memory.
First, the rider Hiratsuka.
And of course, Neo.
After being touched by the warm kindness of people in many places,
I strongly felt that I’d like to come back here again when this memorable tree has grown.
【Today's Eco-Corner】
Anyone can grow acorn plants from the acorns they have found.
TOTO made a pdf file that explains the procedure and the meaning of
increasing acorn forests.
Care to grow an acorn forest on your own as well?
※TOILET BIKE NEO does not have the mechanism to run on the rider's waste. It runs biogas fuel (fertilized, purified and compressed livestock waste and household wastewater) provided by Shika-oi Town in Hokkaido and Kobe city.
Therefore, the NEO REST seat doesnot function as a toilet, and has been
created for promoting TOTO's environmental efforts.TOTO is not involved
with any motorbike or biogas production business.
The Washlet, CeFionTect, Tornado Flushing…
TOTO, which has been evolving Japanese toilets, is in fact a professional in all kinds of plumbing products.
TOTO has set up the project “TOTO TALK” to inform everyone about what we have done in the past, and what we will do in the future.
From November 2009 to August 2011 we created a conceptual model “NEO version 2” that contains all kinds of desired functions,
could be seen at the exhibition and on the web.
(For more information click here)
This year…
Though NEO version 2 was equipped with 23 of those desired functions, there was one function which it regrettably did not have… That is, mobility.
Though we were fortunate enough for many people to come and see it, as well as those who visited the website, it was impossible for us to go and meet people ourselves.
Therefore, TOTO TALK this time will be making a toilet
which can move.
Also, using this mobile toilet we would like people to know that we launched “TOTO GREEN CHALLENGE” in 2010, which is TOTO’s environmental initiative.
From a plumbing product manufacturer’s point of view, we would like to inform everybody about the environment.
(※For more information about the TOTO GREEN CHALLENGE, click here)
Since our motive is to inform everybody about environment, we also would like to put more effort into making this “running toilet” eco-friendly.
So we decided to create a futuristic and the ultimate eco-friendly motorbike toilet “TOILET BIKE NEO”.
For one month from October we will be promoting about the environment and will go on a journey over 1000km from a factory in Kokura to Tokyo.
This site will notify you about plans, production and the final product.
Since our motive is to inform everybody about environment,
we also would like to put more effort into making this “running toilet”eco-friendly.
So we decided to create a futuristic and the ultimate
eco-friendly motorbike toilet “TOILET BIKE NEO”.
※TOILET BIKE NEO has been created for promoting TOTO's environmental efforts. TOTO is not involved with any motorbike or bio-gas production businesses.
Along with electricity-usage and cars, plumbing products is responsible for the majority of CO2 emission from homes. So by 2017, we will aim to provide plumbing products which emits 50% less CO2. (※relative to 1990)
In order to do this, we will be taking on various challenges.
This is our vision for the environment, named “TOTO GREEN CHALLENGE”
TOTO GREEN CHALLENGE has 3 goals from different planes:
- Product and services: Provide plumbing products that emit 50% or less CO2 (※Relative to 1990), expand “HYDROTECT” products and services that have air purification functions (NOx Removal)
- Manufacturing : Not only the functional aspect of products, but production, logistics, and promotional activities.
- Socially responsible & an educator : To contribute to the environment with society from the biodiversity perspective, and to train people to have a higher environmental conscience
As a plumbing products manufacturer, TOTO will reduce impact on the environment, working very intensely , on a global scale.
→For more information, check out the TOTO Website
