Tokyo Insight: Turning a toilet visit into an experience

Tokyo, the world’s largest metropolitan area, can feel overwhelming at first glance, especially compared to sparsely populated Sweden. Greater Tokyo is about the size of Skåne, yet it is home to 32 million people. That is more than in the entire Nordic region. Zoom in to street level, though, and you find one of the best places in the world to live. Much of this is thanks to the fact that so many everyday things “just work”, which is part of why I made it my home over fifteen years ago.

Both big and small details make me feel grateful to live in a place where so much is done well. The high level of safety, the excellent food and the world’s best infrastructure are all part of it. On my latest visit, what brought me joy was something as simple as needing to use a public toilet while walking through the Shibuya district.

The source of that joy was a small building with colourful glass walls that turn frosted when you lock the door. This toilet is one of 17 in the project “The Tokyo Toilet”, which aims to improve the quality and accessibility of public toilets in the district. The project is a collaboration with some of Japan’s most famous architects, with the goal of creating public facilities that everyone can use, regardless of age, gender or disability.

The result is a collection of architectural masterpieces that challenge our ideas of what a public toilet can be. There are treehouses in the forest, minimalist cube designs, brightly coloured origami shapes and futuristic spheres. These toilets are almost like public art installations that enhance the cityscape and offer visitors a unique experience. Designers include well-known names such as Kengo Kuma, Tadao Ando and Shigeru Ban. As always in Japan, design and function go hand in hand.

The project has already attracted the attention it hoped for, with coverage in major newspapers and magazines worldwide. A quick YouTube search shows that videos about these toilets have been viewed over ten million times. They have become a must-see destination, drawing tourists, influencers and locals alike.

Architect Shigeru Ban’s transparent toilet walls are designed to improve safety and hygiene. From the outside, you can see in to check if the stall is clean and empty. As soon as you lock the door, the glass turns opaque. At night, the colourful glass glows like a lantern, lighting up the surrounding park.