Among other things, the toilet is a place for peaceful introspection. It provides an isolated and quiet space for us to devote a few minutes from our busy schedules to just sit and think.

Some people seek to enhance the spiritually soothing properties of the toilet by adorning their bathroom in calming pastel colors or setting a bowl of potpourri or other aromatic atop the toilet’s porcelain tank.

One Japanese person, true to his culture, has taken excremeditation to new levels by installing a working traditional Japanese bamboo fountain on top of his toilet.

※Skip to 2:50 to see the fountain in action

The video above, titled “I made a Japanese-style Western-style toilet,” was originally uploaded to Nico Nico Douga on October 5 by user REON.

REON begins the video with a short introduction:

Temperatures have cooled down and it has begun to feel like Autumn. I hope all of you are doing well. This is the kind of season to go for leisurely walks outside and enjoy nature. But I don’t have that kind of free time!

I wondered if there wasn’t something I could do about it. That’s when I got the idea to bring nature into my own home. Something wa (Japanese, peaceful) to bring a feeling of comfort!

According to REON, that “something” was none other than “Shishi-odoshi,” a type of water fountain consisting of a hollowed bamboo tube pivoted so that when it gets too heavy with water, it tips over and makes a loud sound. Shishi-odoshi literally means “scare the boar” and the fountains are traditionally used to startle deer or other intruders who might wander in the garden to graze.

REON considered several options for installing his interior shishi-odoshi, such as a small USB-powered centerpiece, but eventually decided on installing it atop one of the places in the house where there is a timed, fountain-like flow of water: the toilet.

The remainder of the video shows how RENO went about creating the fountain, attaching a small plastic tube to the end of the inlet tube inside of the toilet cistern and running it through a piece of bamboo so water flows out every time the toilet is flushed.

As you can see from about 3:19, the fountain operates perfectly, filling the pivoted bamboo tube with water until it tips over to create a serene clank and dump the water back into the tank.

The dramatic Princess Mononoke music is not part of the setup and was only edited into the video, though we’re sure a craftsman such as RENO would have no problem rigging up a flush-operated jukebox in no time.

Source: YouTube, Nico Nico Douga