Purple Magazine
— Purple #43 S/S 2025
The Tokyo Diary Issue
the tokyo toilet
THE SMALLEST ARCHITECTURE
by KOJI YANAI
The public bathroom is the smallest architectural unit in urban spaces. Although Japan is renowned for its obsession with cleanliness, pristine streets, and sanitized urban environments, public toilets in central Tokyo often used to be unsafe, dangerous for women, and inaccessible to people with disabilities. Recognizing this problem and seeking a project for the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics, Koji Yanai envisioned creating a new system of public toilets that were not only spotlessly clean but also inclusive, easy to find, and architecturally engaging.
The first renowned architect to join the project was Shigeru Ban. From there, Yanai commissioned 15 designers and architects to create unique public toilets across Shibuya. They included Tadao Ando, Nigo, Toyo Ito, Marc Newson, Kengo Kuma, and many other hypertalented people. Inspired by his father, the founder of UNIQLO, Yanai aimed to merge universality, beauty, and functionality, creating toilets that accommodated people of all ages, genders, and abilities. He also sought to challenge the standardization of public infrastructure by introducing innovative designs.
The Tokyo Toilet project has been widely embraced by both Tokyo residents and visitors, and inspired German filmmaker Wim Wenders to create his feature film Perfect Days, which he talks about in his interview in this issue.
