Wim Wenders' Perfect Days Turns Tokyo's Public Toilets into Cinematic Art

Wim Wenders' film Perfect Days, set in 2023 Tokyo, transforms the Tokyo Toilet Art Project into a narrative about urban regeneration. Initially commissioned by the Nippon Foundation to make short documentaries on Shibuya's public toilets, Wenders instead created a feature film. The movie follows Hirayama (Koji Yakusho), a toilet cleaner who won Best Actor at Cannes 2023 and is an Oscar contender for Best International Film in March 2024. Hirayama's meticulous routine includes cleaning 17 toilets designed by architects like Kengo Kuma, Shigeru Ban, Tadao Ando, and Toyo Ito. The project aims to overcome stereotypes known as the '4 Ks' (kusai, kurai, kowai, kitanai). Designers such as Kazoo Sato created the voice-activated 'Hi Toilet', while others like Shigeru Ban used electrochromic glass that turns opaque when occupied. Wenders' connection to Japan includes his 1989 documentary Notebook on City and Clothes about Yohji Yamamoto, commissioned by Centre Pompidou. The film's blue uniform by NIGO®, artistic director of Kenzo, has become a fashion icon.