An unassuming object has appeared on the shopping list of Chinese nouveau riches : Japanese toilet seats . According to People ’ s Daily , Chinese shoppers swarmed into stores in Japan during the Chinese New Year holidays and bought up all electronic toilet seats in stock . But while those who trade in luxury bathroom gadgets were celebrating in Japan , the demand for lavatories with 'built-in cheek warmers ' has sparked condemnation in China - with even the prime minister entering the debate . Ambitious shoppers : Chinese tourists have been reported to buy up all toilet seats in Japan during the Chinese New Year holidays . Bottomless suitcases : Other hot items on their shopping list include rice and rice cookers . The furore was sparked when it was discovered that these toilet seats were made in China - but only available to Chinese people who are prepared to fly abroad . It ’ s been joked online that these seats went on a ‘ self-guided tour to Japan just like their new owners ’ . Some Chinese tourists to Japan bought as many as five toilet seats without checking the price beforehand , wrote Wu Xiaobo , a renowned Chinese columnist , in one article . 'Toilet seat ' has since become an internet buzzword in China . The other popular items Chinese shoppers buy in Japan are rice cookers and rice ( imagine the weight of the luggage ) . 'As long as Chinese tour groups are here , toilet seats will go out of stock , ' said a shopkeeper in Japan in Mr Wu ’ s article . Advanced toilet seats from brands such as Panasonic are regarded as the representation of Japanese technology in China and are a status symbol to own . Toilet seats are considered to be the typical symbol of advanced Japanese technology in China . Functions : From spray washing to blow drying to massaging , a Japanese toilet seats can do it all . A separate article lists 14 different functions a typical Japanese toilet seat has , which includes spray washing , blow drying , massaging and auto-deodorisation . These seats are reported to be compatible with all toilets . A sales representative from Panasonic told People ’ s Daily that such toilet seats are common in Japan and appear in public toilets too . He said Chinese buyers were not familiar with the product in the past few years , but once they found out the benefits and found the products affordable , they came to buy up all . Made in China : Some of the toilet seats in Japan are produced by Chinese factories which prompts public outcry over the motivation of purchasing it overseas . Eagle-eyed Chinese netizens have also found out that the packaging of some of the toilet seats were full of Chinese characters . They later found out that many seats were originally made in China in cities such as Hangzhou . This has prompted public outcry over the reason why they travelled overseas to buy homemade products . An experts on home electronics told People ’ s Daily that the only solution to restore Chinese shoppers ’ confidence in buying in China is to eradicate low-quality made-in-China products once for all . Common scene : High-tech toilet seats can be found in many places in Japan , including public toilets . The buzzword also made its way to the ongoing Lianghui , the National People 's Congress and Chinese People 's Political Consultative Conference . In responding to the news , China ’ s premier Li Keqiang said a more tolerant attitude and rights of choice should be given to consumers and that Chinese companies should strive to produce similar products . 'At least , ( this ) can save the flight fare for the consumers , ' said Mr Li .
Some shoppers buy as many as 50 without asking the customer . ' As long as Chinese tour groups are here , their bills will go out of sight , ' said a Japanese shopkeeper .