A loo roll call (no hyphen)

Okay, so we've already established that Tokyo is full of bronzed naked ladies. Now I want to start documenting another thing that you can't help but notice dotted around the city - outdoor public loos.

For a person like me with a bladder the size of a pea, these are an invaluable resource. Of course, we all know that I would prefer to use the facilities in the swanky hotels and department stores here. Who could forget Meguro Gajoen with the lacquer doors, and the mother of pearl inlay, and the little river and hump-backed bridge INSIDE THE TOILET??? But in an emergency, it's comforting to know that relief is never very far away.

So apart from my obsession with toilets, why on earth would I ever want to document such a thing, I hear you say. Well, for a culture that is renowned for conformity and standardization, they sure let their imaginations run wild when it comes to the design of these things:

Admittedly, a fair chunk of them look like some variation on this theme;



But here we have the Swiss Chalet;


Or how about some stained glass in your convenience;


Some even try their own local branding and show their neighbourhood pride in the design;



This one is basically the Tardis of public loos (and I have never used one - I am afraid I'd never get out again);



And this one kind of looks like the sort of place where Barry Zuckerkorn would get himself in a lot of trouble;


In all honestly, the sample I've given here are pretty nice, probably because they are all in the centre. The ones out in the boonies can be much closer to your French pissoir variety. If the weather holds, I am off hiking in the mountains of Yamanashi tomorrow (near Mount Fuji) so I'll keep an eye out for any note-worthy facilities.

Oh, and in an entirely unrelated vein, thanks a million to everyone who asked - the test went well; I got a good mark and am free to enjoy my weekend with a clear conscience.