Tokyo launches 'toilet diplomacy'

Glass-walled restroom is clear symbol of Japan's affair with washroom hygiene

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Takenosuke Sakakura's Nishihara Itchome toilet is called Andon, which means "lantern." (Photos by Satoshi Nagare, provided by The Nippon Foundation)

MICHIYO NAKAMOTO

The idea was unsettling but intriguing: a public restroom with transparent walls.

Admittedly, the walls were made of a special glass that would turn opaque once the door was locked. Still, how could I be sure that passersby could not see me? And why would anyone want a see-through public restroom?

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