Perfect Days: An Ode to Tokyo’s Public Toilets

“A bathroom is a place where everyone is equal—there is no rich or poor, no old or young; everyone is part of humanity.” This reflection was shared by Wim Wenders, exponent of New German Cinema and director of the film Perfect Days (2023) when asked about the striking sets of his most recent work. Wenders selected Tokyo’s public restrooms to craft a narrative that deeply explores themes of solitude, simplicity, and the beauty of everyday life.

The story follows Hirayama, a middle-aged man working as a public toilet cleaner in Tokyo. His life is simple and routine, yet filled with small pleasures and moments of reflection. This modest lifestyle contrasts with the technological, colorful, and innovative designs of the public restrooms he cleans every day.

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It is no coincidence that these facilities play a prominent role in the film. Initially, the project was conceived as a documentary about Tokyo’s impeccable public toilet system, designed by renowned architects. However, when the Tokyo government invited Wenders to visit the country and see the locations, he was impressed by the national sanitation culture and saw the potential to transform the idea into fiction. Instead of a documentary, photo series, or short film, the director created a feature film, believing that ‘the ideal way to preserve a place is through fiction.’

The 17 public toilets are part of The Tokyo Toilet project, initially conceived to impress foreign visitors expected for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The initiative brought together 16 renowned architects and designers, including Toyo Ito, Tadao Ando, Kengo Kuma, and Fumihiko Maki. The final restroom in the series was inaugurated in March 2023 by Sou Fujimoto. The project is conducted by the philanthropic Nippon Foundation in partnership with the local government, aiming to celebrate these facilities as symbols of hospitality and hygiene, traditionally associated with Japanese culture.

The film emphasizes these installations’ historical and cultural importance, portraying each restroom as a microcosm that reflects and contrasts with its surroundings. One of the standout restrooms, designed by Shigeru Ban, features walls of colored glass that turn opaque when the door is locked. Explaining his design, Ban noted, ‘When using a public restroom, especially in parks, people are concerned about two things: cleanliness and occupancy.’ Other notable restrooms include Wonderwall’s Public Toilet in Ebisu Park, distinguished by its 15 seemingly random concrete walls, Nao Tamura’s Higashi Sanchome Public Toilet inspired by Origata—a traditional Japanese decorative wrapping method—and the luminous structure of SAMURAI’s Public Toilet.

Despite these projects’ high-tech features, cleaning the bathrooms is entrusted to ordinary citizens. This duty is performed meticulously, transforming from a routine task into a moment of focus and calm for Hirayama. His devotion to meticulous work forms a bond between the protagonist and the built environment—a unique and everyday connection, demonstrating that even the most iconic architectures become commonplace when part of daily life.

Besides the restrooms, Tokyo itself emerges as a character in the film. The juxtaposition of modern buildings with traditional structures underscores the urban duality experienced by the protagonist. This contrast mirrors the tension between old and new, modernity and tradition—themes that echo throughout Hirayama’s life.

Yet, the contrasts continue. Despite spending his entire day cleaning bathrooms, the man lacks his shower; instead, he bathes at sentos—traditional Japanese public bathhouses. This practice reflects a local cultural tradition prevalent in the 1950s when many homes lacked bathing facilities, leading residents to use these public establishments. Over time, beyond their primary hygiene function, sentos also evolved into social spaces. In the film, these visits are integrated into the protagonist’s deeply ritualistic daily routine, marking moments of introspection.

The tranquil daily life of Hirayama portrayed in the film also drew comparisons from cinephiles to Moriyama-san, a 2017 documentary by architecture filmmakers Bêka & Lemoine. The film follows a week in the life of Mr. Moriyama, an elderly and unmarried Japanese man living in the internationally acclaimed Moriyama House, designed by Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA and completed in 2005.

Regardless of similarities and differences, Perfect Days celebrates the simplicity of life and the art of living in the present moment. It offers a meaningful reflection, particularly in today’s era filled with constant stimuli, entertainment, and messages where success and happiness are often equated with status and wealth. In this context, the film highlights the beauty and joy found in everyday activities like reading a book or listening to music while reserving extravagance and uniqueness for architecture.

All film images are screenshots from the movie ‘Perfect Days,’ courtesy of Master Mind Limited and Spoon Inc., in collaboration with Wenders Images, directed by Wim Wenders.