Events

The Tokyo Toilet

Speaker: KOJI YANAI, Senior Executive Officer, Fast Retailing Group
Discussant: RAHUL MEHROTRA, Chair, Department of Urban Planning and Design; Director, MArch in Urban Design Degree Program; Co-Director, MArch in Urban Design Degree Program; John T. Dunlop Professor in Housing and Urbanization
Discussant: SENG KUAN, Lecturer in Architecture, Harvard Graduate School of Design

Koji Yanai explores the process behind his ongoing project, THE TOKYO TOILET. Begun in 2020, the enterprise has gained international acclaim as it places convenient restroom facilities on public property throughout the city. After identifying the issue of accessible public toilets in Tokyo, Yanai collaborated with partner designers to fabricate creative and noticeable facilities that are accessible to all members of society. The highest standards of cleaning and maintenance lead to hospitable spaces at the forefront of innovation. Yanai will examine the sustainability of this initiative and the ways in which THE TOKYO TOILET inspires the integration of design and community pride into city streets.