The news that the smart Japanese toilet seats were bought up by Chinese tourists during the Spring Festival holiday recently caused heated discussion on the Internet. However, some of these Japan-exported toilet seats turned out to be 'made in China'.

Some bathroom companies in Fuzhou, Xiamen or Quanzhou of Fujian province, are the original manufacturers of these Japanese seats, whose own products are much cheaper than the similar products labeled with a Japanese brand, the Straits News reported March 3.

The domestic smart toilet seats with similar material and functions sell for about 1,000 yuan, only half the price of similar Japanese brand products, said Mr Huang, the head of Fuzhou-based Gllo (Fujian) Smart Kitchen and Bathroom Accessory Co, who also suggested that domestic manufacturers should make efforts to improve the brand value.

According to the provincial sanitary ware industrial association, a number of local companies participate in the production and assembly of the products by some Japanese bathroom accessory makers. The smart toilet seats "made in Fujian" have a large market share among some less-known Japanese brands.

In order to compete with Japanese counterparts, bathroom accessory makers in Fujian have focused on industrial upgrading. Quanzhou has formed a global bathroom facility sectoral cluster featuring production, research and development, exhibition, sales, logistics and raw material supply.