The film “Perfect Days”, directed by German filmmaker Wim Wenders, has been presented in cinemas. The lead actor, Koji Yakusho, was awarded Best Actor at the last Cannes Film Festival.
The movie is set in Tokyo and depicts the ordinary and monotonous life of Hirayama, a janitor at the public toilets of The Tokyo Toilet, located in one of the city's most famous neighbourhoods, Shibuya.
One of the peculiarities of the film lies precisely in these toilets, renowned for their architectural design, which the protagonist cleans with excellent method and precision. The creation of 'Perfect Days' originated from a request by the Shibuya administration, asking Wenders to make a documentary dedicated to these bathrooms.
Toilets have always been a symbol of worldwide renowned Japanese hospitality culture, and The Tokyo Toilet reaffirmed this characteristic.
The project was initiated in 2018 by The Nippon Foundation, an influential charitable organization supporting welfare projects. The project aims to promote public toilets, debunking the common misconception that they are dark, dirty, smelly, and unsafe places. Instead, the goal is to turn them into new symbols of hospitality, spaces focused on accessibility and inclusion.
To achieve this, the Foundation commissioned a team of 16 international creatives, including renowned architects like Kengo Kuma and Tadao Ando, to design 17 new public toilets. The result is a perfect synthesis of aesthetics, functionality, and, above all, accessibility.
The Tokyo Toilet | Jingu-Dori Park | AMAYADORI, Tadao Ando Architect & Associates - From 'Perfect days' by Wim Wenders
The Tokyo Toilet | Ebisu Park | “Modern Kawaya” by Masamichi Katayama - From 'Perfect days' by Wim Wenders
The Tokyo Toilet | Nabeshima Shoto Park | A Walk in the Woods by Kengo Kuma and associates - From 'Perfect days' by Wim Wenders
Among the architects involved in The Tokyo Toilet is the winner of the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize 2014, Shigeru Ban, who created what could be considered the most iconic bathrooms of the project.
Shigeru Ban-designed toilets in Yoyogi Fukamachi Mini Park and Haru-no-Ogawa Community Park feature walls made of coloured and transparent glass that turns opaque when the door-closing mechanism is activated. This technology might seem unusual, and indeed, in a scene from the film, a foreign woman approaches these facilities with a certain perplexity and asks Hirayama to explain how they work.
The Tokyo Toilet | Yoyogi Fukamachi Mini Park, Shigeru Ban Architects - From 'Perfect days' by Wim Wenders
The architect explains the concept behind his design for the structures: “There are two things we worry about when entering a public toilet, especially those located at a park. The first is cleanliness, and the second is whether anyone is inside. 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 studios involved in The Tokyo Toilet project, in alphabetical order, are:
Fumihiko Maki > The Tokyo Toilet | Ebisu East Park
Junko Kobayashi > The Tokyo Toilet | Sasazuka Greenway
Kashiwa Sato > The Tokyo Toilet | Ebisu Station, West Exit | White
Kazo Sato > The Tokyo Toilet | Nanago Dori Park | Hi Toilet - a “contactless” toilet
Kengo Kuma > The Tokyo Toilet | Nabeshima Shoto Park | A Walk in the Woods
Marc Newson > The Tokyo Toilet | Urasando
Masamichi Katayama > The Tokyo Toilet | Ebisu Park | “Modern Kawaya”
Miles Pennington > The Tokyo Toilet | Hatagaya
Nao Tamura > The Tokyo Toilet | Higashi Sanchome
NIGO® > The Tokyo Toilet | Jingumae | The House
Shigeru Ban > The Tokyo Toilet | Haru-no-Ogawa Community Park and The Tokyo Toilet | Yoyogi Fukamachi Mini Park
Sou Fujimoto > The Tokyo Toilet | Nishisando
Tadao Ando > The Tokyo Toilet | Jingu-Dori Park | AMAYADORI
Takenosuke Sakakura > The Tokyo Toilet | Nishihara Itchome Park
Tomohito Ushiro > The Tokyo Toilet | Hiroo Higashi Park
Toyo Ito > The Tokyo Toilet | Yoyogi-Hachiman | Three Mushrooms
> Discover all The Tokyo Toilet Projects
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Ivan Visini
commentI am familiar with these projects, being in the smart glass sector, the same material that allows glass to switch from opaque to transparent. We would love to do a similar project inspired by Tokyo. Who knows if we would find interest in Italy. I'll watch the movie.