Tokyo's innovative 'Transparent' public toilets are mind-boggling the internet; see here

In an interesting public space project, Pritzker Prize-winning architect Shigeru Ban has created ‘transparent’ toilets that have been installed in Tokyo. According to reports, the toilets are made using a special coloured ‘smart glass’ that turns opaque when the toilet is occupied.

So far, these talk of the town ‘transparent’ toilets have been installed in five locations across the Japanese capital’s Shibuya neighbourhood and the project has been organised by a non-profit called Nippon Foundation.

Read: India-Japan Summit Likely To Take Place Next Month, Say Sources

Innovative toilets design

As per reports, the foundation said that when it comes to public toilet facilities, especially ones that are located in parks, the two main concerns that people have are whether it is clean inside and if someone is hiding inside the toilet.

These toilets, with their innovative walls that turn opaque when the doors are locked, allow people to see inside the toilet and ease their misgivings before using the facility.

Read: Shikhar Dhawan Generously Donates Modular Toilets To Pakistani Hindu Refugees In Delhi

According to reports, the toilets also serve the dual function of lighting up the parks like lanterns. The foundation also notes that Japan is renowned for its high standards when it comes to hygiene and the project takes it a step forward. 

Toto, the maker of the washlet brand, now boasts of its range of ‘smart’ toilets with features such as washing and drying modes and even features like seat warming. The ‘smart’ toilets also boast the ability to automatically open and close the lids, international media reported.

As per reports, the Nippon Foundation has stated that despite Japan’s high standards for toilet hygiene, public restrooms are believed to be unhygienic, dirty, and unsafe. These new innovative ‘transparent’ toilets aim to allow passersby to see exactly the conditions inside the toilets before stepping in and also aims to motivate people who use these facilities to keep them clean. The foundation plans to increase that number to 17 by the end of the summer.

Check out some netizens reactions here:

Read: Japan’s Economy Shrinks At Annual Rate Of 27.8%, Worst Contraction On Record

Read: Japan Embassy Celebrates India's 74th Independence Day; Shares PM Modi, President's Speech