Great journalism depends on ad revenue. To keep reading, please turn off your ad blocker, create an account or support us by ...

Devices that conceal unwanted noises are the next frontier in advanced toilet technology. Would you like some peaceful birdsong, or perhaps a burst of artillery fire? Donna Burke, who moved to Japan ...

Step into any public restroom stall in Japan and you’re likely to be enveloped in a soundscape. No, not that kind. It’s the babble of running water, perhaps peppered with cheerful tweets and birdsong, ...