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Transparent toilets are the place to go in Tokyo

Architects in Japan are redesigning the public toilet. They have unveiled a toilet that is transparent, until someone locks the door. An organisation called the Nippon Foundation created a project called "The Tokyo Toilet" to make public restrooms more attractive and usable. The idea was to use innovative design to make public toilets more accessible. An official said it wanted people to feel comfortable using public toilets, "and to foster a spirit of hospitality for the next person". World-famous architects such as Tadao Ando and Kengo Kuma participated in the project. In total, 16 top designers came up with toilets that will be dotted around in 17 parks and public spaces in Japan's capital Tokyo.

The Nippon Foundation said it wanted to stop people having a negative image of public toilets. It said many people thought toilets were "dark, dirty, stinky and scary" places. It said people care about if the toilets are clean, and that "no one is secretly waiting inside". The first transparent toilets opened in a park in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward on August the 16th. They immediately became a tourist attraction with many people lining up to take photos of them, and of course to do their business. The toilet walls are transparent - you can see the white toilets and sinks from the outside. However, when the door is locked, the special film and glass walls suddenly become opaque so no one on the outside can see inside.