No one beats the Japanese when it comes to the latest in toilet design and innovation, but their latest toilet creation might be considered even excessive for them. I give you the diamond-encrusted toilet valued at 10 million yen ($130,000):

Manufactured by Japanese company INAX and an Austrian jeweler, this creation contains 72,000 pieces of Swarovski cut crystal. Now, I have no idea what that is, but it definitely sounds impressive and expensive, which I suppose is the point if you’re going to make a toilet out of diamonds.

I’ve always wondered why the Japanese are so into toilets and an explanation by Kazuo Sumimiya, the manager of the showroom where this toilet is being displayed until the end of this month, partly answers this question. According to traditional beliefs, gods are everywhere and this invention was created to please the “god of the lavatories.”

“In Japan, we believe a deity exists in the lavatory. That’s why keeping lavatories clean and taking good care of it have been a Japanese custom since long ago,” Sumimiya said.

Now each time I take a crap, I’ll have an image of God observing me. Awesome! 

Since no one was thoughtful enough to give me this toilet as a Christmas gift, just putting it out there that my birthday’s in a couple of months.

Happy new year! And may all your bowel movements in 2012 be good ones.