The Tokyo Toilet

If you have seen the film ‘Perfect Days’ by Wim Wenders, about a man who leads a tranquil life cleaning public toilets in Shibuya, you might recognise just how truly beautiful such places can be. In the past, public toilets may not have left a good impression due to sanitary and safety concerns. These facilities were usually lacking inclusive design qualities. Toilets should be accessible, comfortable, and anxiety-free for everyone at all times. With this in mind, the project team considered what sort of public toilet would be safe, clean, and comfortable for every user. These are the toilets featured in the film, now renovated to be gender-free and fitted with the latest sanitation equipment. 16 creators participated in a big project that changed the conventional wisdom of public toilets. 17 toilets are introduced with photos, drawings, and data. The book also includes interviews with the people involved, as well as numerous contributions from the creators. Participating architects and creators include Tadao Ando, Takenosuke Sakakura, Shigeru Ban, Toyo Ito, Naho Tamura, Sousuke Fujimoto, Kengo Kuma, Hitoshi Go, Marc Newson, Junko Kobayashi, Masamichi Katayama, Kashiwa Sato, Kazoo Sato, NIGO, Myles Pennington, Fumihiko Maki. text in English/Japanese