The Tokyo Toilet Project Part II - A focus on three extraordinary public toilets

The Tokyo Toilet Project is a project initiated by the Nippon Foundation designed to counter people’s negative perceptions of public toilets. The 17 public toilets created over the course of the project are small architectural works of art equipped with TOTO products. Let’s take a closer look at three of these unique public toilets.

Tomohito Ushiro – “Monumentum” in Hiroo Higashi Park

Located in Hiroo Higashi Park, “Monumentum” is both a public toilet and work of art. When it was completed, some visitors said it looked like a small art museum – which is totally understandable. This impression is supported by the toilet’s design as well as its location. With the University of the Sacred Heart campus in the background, “Monumentum” communicates gently with people as they walk by.

Tomohito Ushiro’s vision was to design a public toilet that was both clean and functional – a fusion of art and everyday object that would help keep the toilet clean. People tend to make public toilets dirty, but few people are so careless with public art.

The integration of lighting technology makes this project especially unique. It uses 7.9 billion lighting patterns, the same number as the world’s population. It projects these various different patterns like the sunlight or moonlight filtering through the trees or fireflies at night.

The message behind this project embodies the original idea of the Tokyo Toilet Project: “All people are the same in the sense that they are all different.” “Monumentum” is a part of people’s daily lives – an art installation that is always inspiring passersby to think.

Kazoo Sato – “Hi Toilet” in Nanago Dori Park

The inspiration behind the "Hi Toilet" came from extensive research and observations of how people use public toilets in Europe and the United States. Studies have shown that a high percentage of people consciously avoid touching the surface of the toilet with their hands.

Kazoo Sato’s goal was to design the world’s most hygienic public toilet. To achieve this, he and his team decided on a voice-command format for a toilet that people can use without using their hands. People can speak the instructions for using the toilet, like “open the door” or “flush the toilet” to initiate these necessary tasks without touching any surfaces. The system works in two languages – Japanese and English. It’s also possible to open the door and operate the toilet using your hands as well as the voice instructions.

The pure white globe structure with a ceiling that reaches four metres high looks like a drop of water that has just fallen. The spherical shape promotes ventilation and prevents odours from stagnating. A 24-hour ventilation system combines the natural air supply with machine-driven exhaust.

The "Hi Toilet" provides a hygienic experience while simultaneously helping to promote cleanliness and hygiene in public spaces.

Toyo Ito – “The Three Mushrooms” at the Yoyogi-Hachiman Shrine

The third and final public toilet we’d like to explore here are “the three mushrooms” at the Yoyogi-Hachiman Shrine. When designing this public toilet, Toyo Ito focused on the idea that public toilets should be bright and inviting so that women in particular could use them at night with piece of mind.

The three separate buildings are easy to navigate. There are clear lines of sight without any dead ends to discourage crime. Each of the three units are equipped with the functions normally found in accessible toilets to accommodate diverse needs.

The three mushroom-like structures are in harmony with the forest in the background, inviting visitors to relax. Toyo Ito hopes that residents, including children, will be happy to use “the three mushrooms”.