A Restroom Flush With High Ratings

Singapore's environment minister, Lim Swee Say, awarded the country's first five-star rating to a public restroom at the start of a nationwide "Happy Toilet" campaign to flush out dirty lavatories.

Clean lavatories are crucial for the country "to maintain its reputation as a magnet for human talent and a top location for investment," the Restroom Assn. of Singapore said in a statement.

The award-winning restroom features giant comic-book-style murals at its entrance and air jets to dry floors and other surfaces.

"In total we spend almost three years of our lives on the toilet. It's natural and it's normal, so let's learn to say: 'Wow! That's a great toilet!' " Jack Sim, the restroom association's president, said in the Happy Toilet program booklet.