A BOOK THAT SHOWCASES THE PHOTOGRAPHS AND DRAWINGS OF TOILETS DEMONSTRATES HOW PUBLIC TOILETS HAVE BEEN REIMAGINED AS FUNCTIONAL ART PIECES, PRIORITIZING ACCESSIBILITY AND HYGIENE
TEXT: NATHATAI TANGCHADAKORN
PHOTO COURTESY OF TOTO PUBLISHING
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The Tokyo Toilet
TOTO Publishing, 2023
257 x 190mm
280 pages
Paperback
ISBN 978-488-70640-4-1
Banish thoughts of the dark, smelly, and uninspiring public restrooms you might be familiar with. ‘The Tokyo Toilet’ book offers a deep dive into the public toilets of Tokyo’s Shibuya district, showcasing how seventeen facilities have been transformed into spaces of architectural beauty and universal accessibility.
The Tokyo Toilet project was initiated by The Nippon Foundation, a foundation supporting public health, social welfare, and marine development, in partnership with the Shibuya City Government and the Shibuya Tourism Association. The project features designs by an impressive roster of seventeen Japanese and international designers, including luminaries such as Shigeru Ban, Sou Fujimoto, Kengo Kuma, UTokyo DLX Design Lab, and Marc Newson. Notably, the project unfolded concurrently with the most recent Tokyo-hosted Olympics and amid the COVID-19 pandemic. For that reason, they have been strategically placed near playgrounds to promote children’s hygiene. The Tokyo Toilet marked its completion with the unveiling of the final six installations in 2023.
Within the pages of ‘The Tokyo Toilet,’ the reader is treated to a rich tapestry of photographs, drawings, and interviews that delve into the creative concepts behind each designer’s approach to the toilets. These narratives demonstrate how public toilets have been reimagined as functional art pieces, prioritizing accessibility and hygiene. The design strategies vary significantly: some designers opt for visual schemes that resonate with the local milieu, others infuse a sense of ‘Japanese identity’ through the lens of foreign designers, while a few harness cutting-edge technology to craft toilets with a distinct identity anchored in functionality.
As such, The Tokyo Toilet serves as an experimental platform for architects and designers to reimagine one of the most utilitarian public spaces. Despite Japan’s well-known standards of cleanliness, public toilets have long been marred by a stigma of undesirability. This book ingeniously presents ideas that elevate notions of cleanliness and user-friendliness, brought to life by the architects and designers for the benefit of all Tokyoites and visitors alike.