In Japan, the use of public bathrooms is limited due to stereotypes that they’re dirty, smelly, dark, and scary. To reverse these typecasts regarding public toilets, the Nippon Foundation has launched THE TOKYO TOILET project aimed at building seventeen unique public restrooms in Shibuya, Tokyo.
These public bathrooms are being designed by sixteen leading creators, in collaboration with the Shibuya City government. The structures involve advanced design to make it accessible for all people of age, gender, or disability.
Two of the public toilets, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, are already completed. One is located in the Haru-no-Ogawa Community Park and the other in Yoyogi Fukamachi Mini Park; both are in Shibuya’s Yoyogi Park. These bathrooms, in particular, are the most popular because they’re see-through when not in use and turns opaque when occupied – a feature that offers a safer and cleaner experience.
The exterior glass can turn opaque when the door is locked thanks to the latest state-of-the-art technology, allowing users or employees to check the cleanliness of the bathroom. Most importantly, since the glass exterior is transparent when the bathroom is empty, users will know whether anyone uses the toilet from the outside. That means people can’t secretly hide in the next stall and attack you while you go in or out of the bathroom, which is a great fear for many individuals.
Best of all, at night, the bathrooms’ transparent glass lights up the park like a beautiful lantern with colors of blue, green, yellow, orange, and purple. Both transparent bathrooms consist of three cubicles, a men’s bathroom, a women’s, and user-accessible facilities. All seventeen planned bathrooms are expected to be completed from August 5 till the springtime of 2021.
Daiwa House Industry Co. Ltd. Is building the bathrooms, while Toto Ltd. is advising on toilet design and equipment. The construction and maintenance of the facilities, once complete, are executed under a three-party agreement between the Shibuya city government, the Shibuya City Tourism Association, and the Nippon Foundation.
