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Is that a public toilet or a performing arts hall? In Tokyo, you never know

Krista Rogers Oct 22, 2024
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A simple toilet break turns into a deeper-than-expected thinking session for us.

The entryway was just too stylish. That’s what our Japanese-language reporter Yuuichiro Wasai thought when he spotted the entrance to a public restroom located in the Hatagaya area of Tokyo. It looked more like the entryway to a music hall or an art gallery than to a publicly accessible place to do your business.

Seriously, just look at it. Doesn’t it seem like the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra or Cirque du Soleil should be performing right behind it?

▼ The entryway in question

The facility consists of two gender-neutral private restrooms as well as two urinals. The private rooms are also equipped with diaper-changing stations for people with small children in tow. That alone was enough to make Yuuichiro, who’s a parent, willing to pay for their use–but in an even more amazing twist, they’re completely free to use.

He couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see what the rooms looked like inside. Each interior was incredibly spacious and pristine. If a ranking of the best public toilets in Japan existed (heck, we could probably make one ourselves at this point), this place would easily make it into the top 50.

Then Yuuichiro started to think. He guessed that most people hesitate to use a public restroom unless it’s truly urgent. At such a time, you probably wouldn’t care that it looked so nice–just that you could find an open stall ASAP. In other words, he wasn’t sure if this kind of luxurious space was totally necessary, but it certainly didn’t hurt, either.

To top things off, when he exited the restroom, he was greeted by an open space with a stylish-looking tile pattern as well as a little garden-like patch of vegetation.

These little touches seemed to elevate the facility’s classiness even more in Yuuichiro’s mind. He was still musing over his find as he started to walk away when, not a minute away from the spot, he stumbled upon…another public restroom.

▼ This entryway looks more typical of what you’d expect from a public toilet.

The density of public toilets in this area certainly seemed rather high. Yuuichiro wondered if there was an outbreak of “toilet sojourners” in the neighborhood. Or, maybe Shibuya Ward just really, really prioritizes human dignity when nature calls.

In any case, one thing’s for sure–Japan’s probably got a public restroom that can appeal to anyone, including more traditional, more artistic, and more avant-garde facilities. If you want to gain a full appreciation for all that’s out there, you can even book yourself a spot on a public toilet tour in Tokyo. Happy toilet hopping, everyone!

Public toilet information
Hatagaya Public Toilet / 幡ヶ谷公衆トイレ
Address: Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Hatagaya 3-37-8
東京都渋谷区幡ヶ谷 3-37-8
Website

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[ Read in Japanese ]