In addition to visiting temples and viewing cherry blossoms, tourists in Tokyo can now explore a curated tour of the city’s modern wonders: its public toilets.
Penelope Panczuk, inspired by the Oscar-nominated film “Perfect Days,” which portrays a toilet cleaner in Tokyo’s Shibuya district, decided to join the Tokyo Toilet Shuttle. This two-hour tour showcases artistically enhanced public conveniences across the city.
“In the U.S. or in France where I originally come from, you just don’t go,” Panczuk said of using public facilities.
“Here in Tokyo you’re really happy to go because they’re extremely clean, they’re very safe and each one is so different it feels like it’s a new discovery each time,” she added.
The Tokyo Toilet Shuttle, launched in March, has attracted visitors to Japan at a record pace. The slide in the yen’s value has made it more affordable for many superfans of Japanese culture to explore its sights and quirks for the first time.
In recent years, Japan’s toilets, manufactured by companies like TOTO and LIXIL, have become highly revered technological exports.
These toilets boast features such as cleansing sprays, heated seats, music, and more.
They have gained international attention, with the animated comedy “South Park” dedicating an entire episode to them, and DJ Khaled expressing excitement on Instagram about receiving four TOTO bowls as a gift from rapper Drake.
The Tokyo Toilet Project, initiated in 2020 by The Nippon Foundation non-profit, enlisted creators including Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando to enhance accessibility and artistry in 17 public toilets in the Shibuya district.
While the project was not initially intended as a tourist attraction, the Shibuya government seized the opportunity to enhance the area’s appeal to visitors, diverting attention from its famously chaotic Scramble crossing.