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'The Tokyo Toilet' Shuttle Tour "Shibuya Resources"
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Public restrooms in Tokyo, Japan, are emerging as new tourist attractions. Major renovation projects were carried out around the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, with famous architects participating in their design, resulting in spectacular restroom buildings. Consequently, "toilet tours" have started to appear in various locations. More local governments are benchmarking this trend, leading to a nationwide wave of public restroom remodeling across Japan.

Toilet designed by Tadao Ando who participated in 'The Tokyo Toilet' project

On the 28th, Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) reported that cases of utilizing public restrooms as tourist resources are increasing, especially around Shibuya Ward in Tokyo. The Shibuya Ward Tourism Association will start a shuttle tour of the public restroom remodeling project "The Tokyo Toilet" from the 2nd of next month. Targeting inbound tourists, the association emphasized, "Public restrooms are a new tourist resource that can only be experienced in Shibuya."

The Tokyo Toilet is a project where 16 artists, including renowned architects Ando Tadao and Kuma Kengo, remodel public restrooms within Shibuya Ward. Out of 82 park and public restrooms in the ward, 17 have been successfully renovated between 2020 and 2023. Inspired by this project, the Japan-Germany co-produced film "Perfect Days" was released, and actor Yakusho Koji, who played a public restroom cleaner in the film, won the Best Actor award at the Cannes International Film Festival, drawing significant attention.

The Tokyo Toilet Project also reveals conceptual sketches of the restrooms designed by architects. The photo shows a sketch by Tadao Ando. (Photo by The Tokyo Toilet)

Accordingly, Shibuya Ward plans to actively utilize this as a tourist resource. This restroom tour offers a special pre-booking benefit: "The Tokyo Toilet Book." It is not just a simple guidebook but contains photographs of the 17 restrooms taken by photographer Takahashi Yoko, messages from the 16 creators involved, including Ando Tadao, and a restroom map, enhancing its collectible value.

The Tokyo Toilet team stated, "Many people avoided using public restrooms because they were dark, dirty, and smelly," adding, "We created restrooms that anyone can use comfortably regardless of gender, age, or disability. We strengthened cleaning and maintenance compared to before to foster the 'Omotenashi' culture."

The official website of The Tokyo Toilet Project. (Photo by The Tokyo Toilet)

As this project gained attention, more local governments began benchmarking it. Toshima Ward in Tokyo started the "Toshima Public Restroom Project" in 2017, remodeling 85 out of 133 restrooms, with 25 of them being extensively renovated as "Art Restrooms" by inviting artists. Each restroom’s design is handled by a single artist, and the ward publishes a "Our Town Art Restroom Map" on its website.

Maniwa City in Okayama Prefecture remodeled the Kuse Station restroom in 2017 under the name "Ki Terrace." Considering the area's mountainous surroundings and thriving forestry industry, it was built with wooden panels resistant to earthquakes and fires. It has become a cycling road hub recently, gaining popularity among cycling clubs, and as visitors increased, events in front of the station have become frequent.

A public restroom remodeled through a project implemented by Toshima Ward. (Photo by Toshima Ward)

Mitsuke City in Niigata Prefecture, after the inauguration of former mayor Kusumi Tokio in 2002, began changing most restrooms in the city, starting with the public restroom in the plaza where the morning market is held, under the motto "If public restrooms change, the streets change." In August last year, the public restroom "Patio Niigata" won the "Restroom Award" from the Japan Toilet Research Institute.

Public restrooms require daily maintenance and incur various costs, but no local government had a dedicated department for this. Nagasaki City launched the "Machibura Project" to consolidate public restroom-related projects within the local government, implementing comprehensive initiatives including restroom installation and opening private facilities. A project office official said, "Restrooms tend to be neglected in town maintenance projects," adding, "The responsible departments are scattered across parks and greenery, construction, and civil engineering, so the project efficiently used the budget."

Such restroom renovation projects are expected to continue nationwide. Recently, projects aimed at increasing the absolute number of usable public restrooms have gained popularity. Yamato City in Kanagawa Prefecture is conducting a restroom opening project for the elderly in cooperation with convenience stores. The cooperating stores receive 200 rolls of toilet paper twice a year from the city. Yokohama City will also launch a similar pilot project starting this year.