Photo: Satoshi Nagare, provided by The Nippon Foundation
Photo: Satoshi Nagare, provided by The Nippon Foundation
Inside Ebisu East Park, known to locals as ‘Octopus Park’ thanks to its themed playground equipment, architect Fumihiko Maki created a decentralised toilet layout that functions as both restroom and pavilion, emphasising natural light and ventilation. It has already been nicknamed the ‘Squid Toilet’.
To the West, Masamichi Katayama’s creation in Ebisu Park is influenced by the origin of toilets in Japan, ‘kawaya’ – an ancient type of hut that stood on a river. Huge board- marked concrete walls split this toilet into three sections – male, female and everyone – with a maze-like entrance which gets indirectly illuminated at night to stunning effect.
Over in Nishihara Itchome Park, Takenosuke Sakakura has redeveloped an uninviting public restroom to feature frosted glass walls, lightly highlighting the patterns of trees inside the bright, unisex stalls. At Higashi Sanchome, a triangular patch of land between the train lines and road now plays host to a striking, obtuse trio of vivid red cubicles that make excellent use of the unusually shaped space.
In Jingumae, close to Harajuku, fashion designer NIGO® has crafted a facility inspired by the Washington Heights
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dependent housing complex, built by the US in the area following World War II. The ‘house’ stands small amongst the surrounding skyscrapers and busy streets, a bright, picket-fenced reminder of area’s history.
At the time of writing, the latest facility to open was one designed by architect Kengo Kuma, designer of the Japan National Stadium created for the delayed 2020 Olympic Games. Titled ‘A Walk in the Woods’, this randomly cedar- clad complex in Nabeshima Shoto Park integrates within the surrounding greenery, and comprises five different huts connected by a stepped walkway. Each cubicle is designed for a different users’ needs.
With some toilets yet to open and with Japan itself currently closed to tourists, the Tokyo Toilet project has made a splash, but full scale of its impact has yet to be seen. The hope is that Japan will be able to fully reopen by the start of 2022, so hopefully by then, these fascinating facilities can start to attract both domestic and foreign interest.
www.tokyotoilet.jp/en/ www.nippon-foundation.or.jp/en/
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