"Women's restroom is gone"!
?
I tried to find out what happened March 15, 17:10
“Will women-only toilets disappear?”
Speculation spread on social media about the toilets in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, and sparked a debate.
The ward immediately denied the idea, saying, "We have absolutely no intention of eliminating the women's restroom."
what the hell?
When I looked it up, I found out that the toilet situation in Japan is changing drastically.
(Network News Department Ayumi Yanagisawa Yukie Kanazawa / Metropolitan Area Bureau Kim Noyoung)
What's in the toilet in Shibuya?
This toilet is what got me started.
It was installed in Hatagaya, Shibuya Ward on the 22nd of last month.
There are two private rooms as "shared toilets" that can be used by anyone regardless of gender.
And there is a space with two urinals for men.
On the other hand, there is no space dedicated to women.
When I asked him what he thought of this toilet...
“I actually tried using it, and I thought it was a good design that was easy to use for the elderly and people with disabilities. I don't understand either." (Male, 20s)
“If there is no women-only restroom, I am worried that the risk of becoming a victim of voyeurism will increase. ”(Female in her 20s)
There were many people who thought,
"If you keep the men's section, why are you removing the women's section?"
Why did Shibuya Ward create such toilets?
The ward is currently rebuilding 17 toilets with the aim of creating "toilets that anyone can use comfortably and safely."
The purpose is to solve the problem of so-called "barrier-free toilets" (formerly known as "multifunctional toilets") being crowded and difficult for those who need them to use them.
But why did the women-only toilet disappear?
Shibuya Ward Park Section Manager
: “It’s not about eliminating women’s toilets, it’s about increasing the number of shared toilets. However, we are aware that there are voices saying that we want women-only restrooms to remain in place, and we will continue to verify the way things should be.
What to look for in a toilet
It's not just Shibuya Ward that barrier-free toilets are crowded and difficult to use.
It has been pointed out that behind the congestion lies diverse needs.
Many people might imagine people using wheelchairs, people with colostomy, and people with infants as users of these toilets, but they are not the only ones.
For example, people who want to use the restroom regardless of whether they are male or female.
When Akiko Hino, a major housing equipment manufacturer, and others conducted a survey to find out what was required of public toilets, it was found that ``neither gender identity'' or ``using the toilet of the gender assigned at birth'' It seems that there is a need for barrier-free toilets that do not have to choose "male or female" for those who have resistance.
Also, some people need assistance from someone of the opposite sex in the toilet.
For example, a man with an intellectual disability needs to be supervised by his mother, or a woman with dementia needs the assistance of her husband or a male relative.
The parties involved in this “helping the opposite sex” also had the same needs.
Based on this, Mr. Hino points out that "just because there are many functions, not all problems can be solved."
Ms. Akiko Hino of "LIXIL"
"The required toilet changes depending on the place where it is installed, its size, and what kind of people use it. Space is limited, and it is difficult to create something that satisfies everyone. I think we need to think carefully about how we can meet the expected needs.”
Mr. Kunpei Otsuka, an NPO who lives in a wheelchair himself and provides consulting services for creating barrier-free towns, created products that meet the needs of each person, such as "for wheelchair users" and "for people with infants." I'd like to ask you to fix the toilet.
Kunpei Otsuka, Representative Director of NPO "Accessible Lab"
"For example, we wheelchair users cannot physically use it unless it is large enough, and it is not easy to go to the toilet on another floor. I hear
that it doesn't have to be so spacious if it can be used
regardless of gender.
It is also said that it is good to have a caregiver who can use the toilet together or nearby.I think that distributing the functions will also disperse the users, so we will make it possible for those who really need it to use the toilet properly when they need it. I want you
An "all-gender" toilet at Narita Airport
The government is also demanding that the functions of barrier-free toilets be decentralized, and they are starting to spread little by little.
Of these, the one that focuses on the gender perspective is called the "All-Gender Toilet".
Against the backdrop of heightened gender awareness, the movement to introduce it has spread overseas.
The installation is gradually progressing in Japan, and at Narita Airport, it was built three years ago in the wake of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
This toilet was installed on the first floor of Terminal 1.
In addition to women's, men's and barrier-free toilets, an all-gender toilet has been established.
It was placed just inside the entrance, right in the middle of the restroom.
It is devised so that you do not have to enter each area for women and men.
Here is the inside of the private room.
Assuming the case of "helping the opposite sex", a curtain is attached to cover the toilet bowl.
There are also benches where caregivers and people with disabilities can sit and wait.
And the walls are painted with distinctive patterns.
It is a device that allows people with developmental disabilities and intellectual disabilities to concentrate while waiting while the caregiver is using the toilet.
Some of the common barrier-free toilets do not take this kind of consideration from the perspective of gender, and there was a strong request, mainly from people who care for the opposite sex.
If people who used to use barrier-free toilets based on their gender start using all-gender toilets, the congestion of barrier-free toilets will be alleviated, and convenience for other people who need barrier-free toilets will increase.
This is the effect of "functional distribution".
Also, at Narita Airport, an “all-gender” restroom was created, leaving both men-only and women-only restrooms.
This may be possible only because the airport has such a large area, but I feel that it is also important.
Mr. Yoshiki Kitagawa, CS/ES Promotion Department, Narita Airport Corporation
"I would like to consider how to improve the toilets by first trying to build one place, watching the reaction and listening to opinions. I think there are various opinions. However, I think it is important to think about increasing the options by saying, 'There is this, there is that.'"
How to make a comfortable toilet?
The way toilets are changing drastically.
A person in charge of the foundation, which is investigating and researching barrier-free public transportation, including toilets, points out.
Ms. Keiko Takeshima, Traffic Ecology and Mobility Foundation
“There is no one who does not use the toilet, so any change tends to attract attention. Therefore, changes such as the one in Shibuya Ward can cause confusion and anxiety.
I think that the movement to provide toilets that are easy to use for as many people as possible will progress more and more in the future.People who need toilets can find toilets that suit their circumstances when they need them
.
I think it is necessary to carefully listen to opinions so that you can choose and use it.”
I think it's really difficult to create a toilet that "perfects 100 points for everyone."
Toilets are very sensitive and no one is irrelevant regardless of position.
I think it's important not to forget that.