Tokyo’s public toilet project has spawned guided tours, Instagrammer invasions – and even a Wim Wenders film.
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.I’m walking towards a public toilet in a Tokyo park and being followed by a guy with a video camera. When I push open the door – which, like the walls, is made of transparent tinted glass – he follows me in, filming everything. I shut the door behind us, then turn the lock on the door. The glass enclosure instantly turns an opaque purple so people can’t see us inside.
The cameraman is filming a mini-documentary for YouTube, and he’s shadowing me because he’s interested in why on earth an Australian would spend his time in Tokyo hanging around toilets. There are lots of answers to that question., which uses the toilets in the project as a backdrop. It’s a meditative film that follows the daily routine of a toilet cleaner, and it finds nobility in a life of quiet rituals, taking pride in one’s work and being open to the small, beautiful moments in the world.
Yanai was also inspired by his father’s motto, “Made for all”, which is his philosophy for Uniqlo as a brand. “So I started thinking about something that is necessary for everyone, and that’s when I thought about public toilets. Regardless of age, gender, nationality or religion, we all need toilets every day. But there were many issues with Tokyo’s public toilets. People found
Yanai collaborated with The Nippon Foundation , Daiwa House Industry and Toto . Shibuya City endorsed The Tokyo Toilet and, since April this year, has managed and maintained it. The tiled, dome‑topped toilets by Toyo Ito at Yoyogi-Hachiman look like oversized mushrooms; British designer Miles Pennington’s toilet in Hatagaya incorporates a wide, multi-purpose forecourt with retractable seating; in Nishisando, Sou Fujimoto’s design is like a cross between a house on a Greek Island and a big white wave, with taps cleverly installed at various heights along the front lip of the structure.
Then there’s Kengo Kuma’s toilet in Nabeshima Shoto Park. Kuma is one of the world’s most celebrated architects. His many works include the Japan National Stadium, built for the 2020 Olympics.“When I was first approached by Yanai-san, I admit that I wondered about the reality of a project involving toilets in Shibuya,” Kuma says, sitting in his sun-filled rooftop meeting room in Aoyama, surrounded by shelves filled with multiple copies of his books.
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