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Headline: New See-Through Public Toilets In Tokyo Let People See How Clean They Are Before Entering

Caption: A Japanese architect has designed two transparent public toilets that people can asses for cleanliness before entering. Designed by Shigeru Ban, the stalls are part of a project organised by the nonprofit Nippon Foundation, titled The Tokyo Toilet. The project asked 16 different artists to redesign 17 public bathrooms throughout the district of Shibuya, in the hopes of making them more accessible and appealing. Located inside the city’s Yo Yogi Fukamachi Mini Park and the Haruno Ogawa Community Park, the public conveniences have been designed with two key points in mind - cleanliness and security - two aspects we all take into consideration when entering a public restroom. Although the thought of the toilet's being see-through sounds off-putting, these particular restrooms are made from “smart glass” that turns opaque when the bathroom is locked and occupied. The clever design fights the assumption that public toilets are “dark, dirty, smelly, and scary,” and they’re even available to anyone, regardless of disability. These colourful lavatories are not only practical, but they look great, too. "There are two concerns with public toilets, especially those located in parks," explains non-profit The Nippon Foundation, the organisers behind the project. "The first is whether it is clean inside, and the second is that no one is secretly waiting inside.' "Using a new technology, we made the outer walls with glass that becomes opaque when the lock is closed, so that a person can check inside before entering. At night, they light up the parks like a beautiful lantern." Divided into three cubicles, the toilets match the hues found on both parks, instantly becoming part of them. Composed of women’s, men’s and an accessible facility bathroom, users will know if the toilets are empty from far away, as the glass exterior will be transparent if the bathroom is empty, making it particularly useful and safe at night.

Keywords: feature,photo feature,photo story,architecture,design,toilet,public toilet,see-through,window,transparent,Haru-no-Ogawa Community Park,Yoyogi Fukamachi Mini Park,Tokyo Shibuya area,Japan

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