Two public restroom locations in Shibuya, Tokyo have garnered attention for their transparent walls that appear to neglect the concept of privacy right when it’s most needed — except that they don’t, really.
The restrooms, located in the district of Tomigaya and the neighborhood of Yoyogi, are among 17 public toilets that have been renovated by The Nippon Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to “creating new frameworks for a better society and bringing about change.”
The initiative, known as The Tokyo Toilet Project, is essentially an effort to embrace diversity, as it seeks to build restrooms that can be used by anyone.
Designed by 16 global creators, the project utilizes advanced technologies to make the toilets “accessible for everyone regardless of gender, age, or disability, [and] to demonstrate the possibilities of an inclusive society.”
The transparent toilets, which opened on Aug. 5, were designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Shigeru Ban. They are located in Haru-no-Ogawa Community Park (5-68-1 Yoyogi) and the Yoyogi Fukamachi Mini Park (1-54-1 Tomigaya).
Ban’s design features a new “smart glass” technology that turns opaque when locked. For this reason, one can rest assured that they will not be watched while doing their business.
Construction of the toilets was completed on July 31.
“There are two things we worry about when entering a public restroom, especially those located at a park. The first is cleanliness, and the second is whether anyone is inside,” The Nippon Foundation noted. “Using the latest technology, the exterior glass turns opaque when locked. This allows users to check the cleanliness and whether anyone is using the toilet from the outside. At night, the facility lights up the park like a beautiful lantern.”
The Tomigaya toilets come in yellow, pink and purple glass walls, while the Yoyogi toilets come in cyan, lime green and blue. Both locations have accessibility features, as well as baby chairs and ostomy facilities.
One other facility, located in Ebisu Park (1-19-1 Ebisu-Nishi) opened on Aug. 5. Designed by interior designer Masamichi Katayama, the restrooms are an “ambiguous space” that randomly combines 15 concrete walls and features a maze-like entrance.
Many people might not know this, but NextShark is a small media startup that runs on no outside funding or loans, and with no paywalls or subscription fees, we rely on help from our community and readers like you.
Everything you see today is built by Asians, for Asians to help amplify our voices globally and support each other. However, we still face many difficulties in our industry because of our commitment to accessible and informational Asian news coverage.
We hope you consider making a contribution to NextShark so we can continue to provide you quality journalism that informs, educates, and inspires the Asian community. Even a $1 contribution goes a long way. Thank you for supporting NextShark and our community.