One of Tokyo's most popular districts has recently added some unusual new attractions: transparent¹ public toilets.

 

东京最受欢迎的地区最近增添了一道与众不同的新风景：透明公厕。
 

 

Designed by Shigeru Ban Architects, the two new sets of see-through restrooms have been installed in Shibuya, the bustling² city center famous for its busy pedestrian crossing.

 

Though the restrooms sound risqué, they're actually part of an innovative³ project aimed at changing people's perceptions of public toilets.

 

Designed by Shigeru Ban Architects, a Pritzker Prize-winning architecture firm, the two new sets of transparent toilets have been installed in two Shibuya parks -- Yoyogi Fukamachi Mini Park and Haru-no-Ogawa Community Park.

 

"There are two things we worry about when entering a public restroom, especially those located at a park," says a statement on the project's official website, Tokyotoilet.jp. "The first is cleanliness, and the second is whether anyone is inside."

 

Shigeru Ban Architects' design tackles these two concerns by offering a toilet with glass walls that -- at first -- allows the public to see through from the outside. But once a user enters the toilet and locks the door, the walls turn opaque⁴ to provide privacy.

 

"This allows users to check the cleanliness and whether anyone is using the toilet from the outside," says the statement. "At night, the facility lights up the park like a beautiful lantern."

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