It would be wrong to say the Japanese are anal about toilets, but there is definately more to it than in your typical western W.C.
In Japan, the toilets are of two main types: Japanese and Western. The Japanese are just holes in the ground where you have to squat. The westerns are not just a standard toilet, the seat is heated (which I find offputting as it makes me think someone has just been sitting on it), you have all manor of controls for flushing music, bidet, temperture, lifting and closing controls etc. It feels a bit like you are sitting on Captain Kirks chair in Star Trek. You never need to actually touch the toilet seat. See here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU_vNb_XkTM
And the hand drying machines are all made out of old jet engines.
