This is a question that I wonder about often. I've only been in one house on my side of the pond with a bidet, and it seemed to be more of a luxury item than an everyday use thing. On another thread I created a while back "Things in your Dream House" I would want a bidet in the master bathroom.

They're common in most newer public washrooms in Japan. Often some complicated electronic one with a small control panel in the stall.

They've never been common here either, although I think many new builds have them. We wouldn't have room for one here anyway, our bathroom is too small.

They're common in most newer public washrooms in Japan. Often some complicated electronic one with a small control panel in the stall.

Japan is on the cutting edge of bathroom technology. I've heard of toilets in Japan with heated seats, white noise machines, and automatic self cleaning seats. Makes me feel like I'm living in the dark ages.

They've never been common here either, although I think many new builds have them. We wouldn't have room for one here anyway, our bathroom is too small.

The fancy Japanese ones actually don't need a separate fixture to be installed in the bathroom. They replace the toilet seat but do require a connection to the mains via a GFCI/RCD.

Simple : don't no one want no drinkin' fountain in the bathroom ! 

The fancy Japanese ones actually don't need a separate fixture to be installed in the bathroom. They replace the toilet seat but do require a connection to the mains via a GFCI/RCD.

Nice! Maybe our national electrical codes prohibit such electrical devices combined with water/plumbing fixtures.

I came very close to getting an add-on bidet during the dreaded toilet paper shortage last year at this time! I'm surprised those didn't sell out or people were not astute enough to think of other ways to "finish up" in the bathroom during the toilet paper shortage 

Over here they're allowed and you can get ones to fit North American toilets they're not cheap though.

You do have to feed them with a GFCI outlet, usually located next to the water shutoff for a new install.

Maybe our national electrical codes prohibit such electrical devices combined with water/plumbing fixtures.

Such code would be nonsense. How would you make e.g. swimming pools, where you need water, piping, pumps for the filtration systems and with people swimming in it...

The code has just extra provisions on how to make and install these devices (like the pool filtration, Jacuzzi pools, water heaters, as well these fancy toilets). It just bans regular devices not designed for hat purpose (regular sockets, switches, lights,...) to be installed in such water exposed areas.

This is a question that I wonder about often. I've only been in one house on my side of the pond with a bidet, and it seemed to be more of a luxury item than an everyday use thing. On another thread I created a while back "Things in your Dream House" I would want a bidet in the master bathroom.

I'm on the other side of the pond and haven't seen any really installed in a real world either (showroom installations do not count).
I would say it is a luxury thing here as well, even when different marketers are depicting it as something "everyone should have, of course".