Art

We might not talk about public toilets enough. Most of us need them now and again, and sometimes finding one that's suitable can be a challenge—if one can be found at all. There have been jokes for decades about stumbling into the "right" coffee shop and learning their bathroom code. But for a lot of people, it's no laughing matter.

Some places in the world are better on this matter than others. In a recent article from SecuriCare, a continence care products company, listing the top five cities for public "toilet accessibility," Paris came in at number one. "Paris has the most public toilets per square kilometre out of any European city." That said, the piece mentions that Tokyo actually has more public restrooms than Paris, but "not all of them are accessible to people with disabilities—traditional squatting toilets are still a common feature." Sydney, Australia, Zurich, Switzerland, and Copenhagen in Denmark round out the list.

Just recently, The Tokyo Toiletproject, an innovative movement that inspired 16 architects to design accessible (and pleasant) public bathrooms, has come back into the limelight. Canadian photographer Ulana Switucha won top honors in the "architecture and design" category in the prestigious Sony World Photography Awards for taking crisp, striking photos of some of the impressive bathrooms.

In a piece for Bustle, writer Josh Niland shares, "Their elevation beyond a mere public convenience and into a form of public art authentically reflects the intents and purposes of the architects behind them—names such as Sou Fujimoto, Kengo Kuma, and, more recently, Toyo Ito and Marc Newsom."

So what is the Tokyo Toilet project, exactly? Specifically focused on the dense area of Shibuya, this ongoing project was the brainchild of Koji Yanai, according to their YouTube introductory video, and is "a unique project to redesign the public toilets of Tokyo."

- An introduction into the Tokyo Toilet project in Japan. www.youtube.com, The Tokyo Toilet

One of the architects, Tadao Ando, relays, "We are reminded that beauty and cleanliness go hand in hand." And on The Tokyo Toilet website, it's stated why this project fit so well into Japanese culture. "Toilets are a symbol of Japan's world-renowned hospitality culture. Public toilets will be redesigned in 17 locations throughout Shibuya with the help of 16 creators invited from around the world."

It was brought even further to the world's attention after Wim Wenders directed a full-length feature drama in 2023 called Perfect Days. Quite simply, it's about a janitor who works for the Tokyo Toilet project. This movie was not only nominated for an Oscar, it helped put the whole idea on the map, drawing attention to these incredibly innovative designs.

-Trailer for the film Perfect Days. www.youtube.com, Neon

But for those living in the States, there are some beautiful public bathrooms, as well. Just last year, CNN reported that the winner of "America's Best Restroom" contest went to a Maverick gas station in Salt Lake City, Utah. Forrest Brown reported, "The online nominations list said that 'Maverick's restrooms deserve recognition for their commitment to cleanliness and comfort, with sparkling fixtures, spacious stalls and fresh amenities.'"

And this year? The top honors for 2025 best public restroom went to Bear Head Lake State Park in Ely, Minnesota.

Let’s hope these accessible, clean bathrooms that are on the rise continue to inspire other architects and builders to ensure that the public has true access to this very important necessity.