THE TOKYO TOILET

THE TOKYO TOILET
How can a space we all share serve infinitely diverse needs—with safety and dignity?
The bathroom is a place where we address physical needs universal to all mankind, regardless of age, gender identity, nationality, religion, or skin color. As we come into an age of increased awareness, a communal space like the public bathroom has to evolve with us.
Living in New York, I have been privileged to witness the LGBTQ+ community living in alignment with their gender identities. As I designed this public bathroom for a small triangular lot in Shibuya, I envisioned a society that embraces the community and holds space for them to live their truth. I realized that addressing safety and privacy was essential to a comfortable experience for everyone. With this in mind, I created three separate spaces that redefine the way a public bathroom establishes personal space. Inclusion, I concluded, is measured not by how much we share, but by whether everyone can enter without fear.
2020 (opened) / 2024 (handed to Shibuya City)
Project
THE TOKYO TOILET
Location:
Shibuya, Tokyo
Status
Complete/Open
Founder
Koji Yanai
Producer
The Nippon Foundation


The design was inspired by Origata, a traditional Japanese method of decorative wrapping. A symbol of gift-giving, this motif embodies the spirit of hospitality towards Shibuya ward’s multinational visitors, and carries my vision to create a safe space that envelops all users.
This design represents my hope for a society where people from all walks of life feel safe and are able to thrive.

Color [Red]: My first consideration was to not create a structure that would just blend in with the surroundings. The location is industrial and lies beneath an elevated train station clad in concrete. I wanted to create an intervention that would be easily seen, recognized and telegraph a sense of urgency—all the things which typically accompany one’s need to locate and use a public toilet.
The color Red for me represents “safety” and “immediacy,” and my feeling is that a public toilet is simply a utilitarian structure with one purpose only—it is not a place to linger or gather. As a woman, I don’t believe that I am the only one who feels some sense of fear or discomfort when entering an outdoor public bathroom. Especially at night and alone, where anyone could possibly walk in.
Satoshi Nagare, courtesy of Shibuya City/ SS CO., Ltd. Hiroko Hojo




Origata is a traditional Japanese method of Gift Wrapping. One typically utilizes a single sheet of white paper which is precisely folded several times. This process symbolizes the purity of an object and its having never been touched by human hands. The ancient technique is not only an expression of beauty and etiquette, but one of the highest forms of honor and respect when bestowed upon its receiver.
Originally this project’s launch was to occur in tandem with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The renovation of these public spaces was conceived in the spirit of hospitality and as a symbolic gift to Shibuya’s international visitors.
In order to replicate the Origata technique and the precise folds of paper that embody it, I chose steel plates to create the exterior’s structure and facade.








Opened in August 2020, the Higashi-sanchome toilet has been in continuous public service since. In 2024, with all seventeen toilets complete, the project was handed to Shibuya City as permanent public infrastructure. The Tokyo Toilet has traveled to Triennale Milano and Clerkenwell Design Week, and appears in Wim Wenders’s PERFECT DAYS.
THE TOKYO TOILET This project by The Nippon Foundation aims for the realization of a society where all kinds of diversity are accepted, by building public toilets. With the full cooperation of Shibuya city, 17 toilets that are accessible for anyone regardless of gender, age, or disability will be created. Through the power of design and the creativity of 16 creators who support the objectives of this project, The Nippon Foundation is demonstrating what this new society can achieve. The toilets will be constructed by DAIWA HOUSE INDUSTRY CO., LTD., and TOTO LTD. will advise on toilet equipment and layout.
16 Creators: Tadao Ando, Toyo Ito, Tomohito Ushiro, Masamichi Katayama, Kengo Kuma, Junko Kobayashi, Takenosuke Sakakura, Kashiwa Sato, Kazoo Sato, Nao Tamura, NIGO, Marc Newson, Shigeru Ban, Sou Fujimoto, Miles Pennington, Fumihiko Maki




































