Hello Novalis,
20a is probably the antithesis of what a cat would do in relation to Variation B, (after they have been adjusted a bit)! 8d gves all the letters, but in the adjusted form corresponding to the part of the word to be entered below the grid!
In Japan, many of the toilets are not only part of the plumbing system, they are also wired into the electrical system. Frequently there is a sign similar to the lower case letter that needs to be entered curvaceously. When this button is pushed the fact that the toilet is "wired in" electrically reduces the thermal shock! There is also frequently another button that has the pictogram of lower half of a stick lady wearing a skirt, no more needs to be said!
Additionally, when you sit on a Japanese toilet water starts flowing into the bowl! This is so Japanese ladies are not embarassed by the thought of anyone hearing what they are doing!
It would appear from a different post by Tweaker that he/she is not as far along the route to solution that was implied by the start to this thread.
Hope everyone has had a pleasant Easter break, here on the South Coast the weather was glorious saturday, rainy sunday and glorious again today, we had some 23a (Sam Wellerish) pleasant walks along the seafront in the sunshine. Plus sitting on the patio at 17.00ish with some preprandials!