1.
Otohime; toilet sound-masking device
A small device installed in many Japanese women's restrooms that plays a continuous flushing sound on demand. Designed to mask the sounds of using the toilet without actually flushing water, saving water that would otherwise be used to provide the same cover.
Trademark of the TOTO company, but used generically. Literally "sound princess." Found mainly in women's restrooms because of a longstanding social practice of repeatedly flushing to cover the sound of using the toilet; 音姫 provides the same audio cover without wasting water.
Common collocations
Cultural note
The device was popularized in the 1980s by TOTO as a water-saving alternative to the habit of flushing repeatedly to mask sound. It is now standard in many public women's restrooms in Japan and is regarded as a small but distinctive example of Japanese restroom design.