Trending in Tokyo – Transparent public toilets are the new cool!

That must have sounded weird right? But not in Japan. As a country, Japan has known to be one of the most advanced places in the world. The Japanese have proven yet again that they are far ahead when compared to other parts of the world by way of this new initiative of building transparent public toilets. These toilets have been designed in such a way that they are see-through when not in use and become opaque when it is engaged. Many such public toilets have already been inaugurated in the parks of Tokyo and have been appreciated widely. Read on to know more about this unique initiative.

The Initiative

A futuristic approach was taken to this entire project of building user-friendly public toilets. It has been designed by Shigeru Ban architects for Tokyo’s Toilet Project to remove the taboo around the cleanliness of public toilets. Transparent public toilets are built and lit up in vivid colours like red, blue, green, orange and even purple. Not only is this a quirky and thoughtful approach to catch people’s attention but it also visually depicts the cleanliness of public toilets.

The mechanism works in such a way that the glass of the public toilet becomes opaque immediately after the key is turned in. This well-lit public toilet will then grant privacy to the user and become transparent again once it is empty. The firm involved in this process stated, “At night, it becomes a toilet that lights up the park like a beautiful paper lantern.” The project has kick-started in the Shibuya region and there are a number of transparent public toilets that have been built in the parks.

The impact

The neighbourhood of Shibuya will surely see the development of transparent public toilets as a welcome change. This has become a public attraction by itself due to the unique approach that has been taken by the creators. The entire neighbourhood gets lit up with the vibrant colours of these public toilets. The major advantage of building such toilets is that stereotypes that public toilets are unhygienic and smelly will be put to rest.

Japan is not only one of the cleanest countries across the globe but is also known for maintaining high standards of hygiene at public washrooms. They have taken this up a notch higher by building colourful transparent public toilets. This will surely make the people of Japan comfortable in the usage of public restrooms and also promote a sense of social responsibility in the process. This will also be a safe move in terms of hygiene especially during these trying times of the pandemic.

Speaking of safe processes, safe travel is also the new normal. If you maintain social distancing and follow basic hygiene, your dream vacation can soon become a reality. So, go ahead and choose from these Japan tour packages offered by Pickyourtrail. If you want to plan a vacation closer to your native city, have a look at some of our staycation options. Let’s all take the first step towards maintaining a safer and healthier world for travel.

Also read: 11 Japan travel tips from people who have actually been there