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Japan’s all-female Takarazuka theater has enlightened 31.5:1 female to male bathroom stall ratio

Casey Baseel Oct 13, 2015
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In Japan, you’ll sometimes find extremely classy restrooms in surprising places, like sparkling-clean highway rest stops. But does that same metric apply to locations that you would expect to have swanky bathroom facilities?

It does in the case of the Takarazuka Grand Theater, home of the famous all-female Takarazuka Revue, which not only has an opulent restroom waiting for its guests, but also an extremely enlightened ratio of male to female bathroom stalls.

The Takarazuka Revue has been entertaining audiences for over 100 years now, and is famous for two things. First, all roles all played by female performers, in a sort of reverse of kabuki’s men-only policy. Second, the costumes, sets, and stories are unabashed spectacles of dramatic bombast.

▼ Promotional images for two of Takarazuka’s upcoming shows

Even if the aesthetic isn’t to everyone’s tastes, there’s no denying that Takarazuka’s look is meticulously crafted. This is, after all, the same theatre unit that has a 25-item list of things a beautiful woman should never do. So it’s only fitting that the Takarazuka Grand Theater’s restroom lounge is as ornately elegant as the plays it puts on.

https://twitter.com/otyaduke00/status/636107566288756736

2014年初の宝塚大劇場にきました。トイレ(パウダールーム)がかわいくなっていてびっくり。宝塚よね～♪大劇場を後に今から梅田に出ます。 pic.twitter.com/vghdazMbCa

— ののぱんだ (@pannoda) February 11, 2014

For passionate Takarazuka fans, a trip to the theater is a rare opportunity to see their favorite stars up close and personal, and to be seen by their idols as well. The ladies’ room is thus equipped with makeup tables and mirrors to help them put as much effort into their appearance as the women on stage do into theirs.

ベルサイユにトイレあったら、こんなんやろな〜@宝塚大劇場 pic.twitter.com/5MwkqxdjWU

— kiku (@mizuryu_k) June 24, 2014

宝塚はトイレも凄い。お客様の夢を守ることが徹底されとるよね。 pic.twitter.com/KnfYN7rpGi

— テクさん。 (@mn072727) March 26, 2014

Even the entrance to the bathrooms pays homage to the troupe’s tradition of having women play male roles, with markers for the men’s room have a subtly feminine look to them.

https://twitter.com/shikakui_kao/status/494518382973026308 https://twitter.com/yorozu_23/status/653026118354628609

But while the theater does have a men’s room, the ratio of women to men in the audience of a Takarazuka performance tends to be only slightly less lopsided than that of the all-female cast. Because of that, the ladies’ room is designed with far more capacity than the men’s.

▼ 63 women’s stalls vs. two men’s stalls and three urinals

劇場やライブハウスは女子トイレが足りなくてかわいそうですが、宝塚はさすがに女性への配慮ができている。 pic.twitter.com/coOt3oLPNn

— エセ (@ese19731107) March 31, 2015

That way fans can spend more time in their seats watching the rest of the show, as opposed to admiring the restroom’s stylish interior as they wait for a stall to open up.

Source: Hachima Kiko, Twitter/@ese19731107
Insert images: Takarazuka Revue official website