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Live updates, tokyo’s fascinating public toilets all the rage as tourists take hours-long treks.

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Along with taking in temples and cherry blossoms, Tokyo visitors can now join a curated pilgrimage of the city’s more modern wonders: its public toilets.

Penelope Panczuk was inspired to hop on the Tokyo Toilet Shuttle for a two-hour tour of artistically enhanced public conveniences by “Perfect Days”, the Oscar-nominated film about a toilet cleaner in the city’s Shibuya district.

“In the U.S. or in France where I originally come from, you just don’t go,” Panczuk said of using public facilities.

“Here in Tokyo you’re really happy to go because they’re extremely clean, they’re very safe and each one is so different it feels like it’s a new discovery each time,” she added.

The shuttle began in March with visitors flocking to Japan at a record pace , drawn by a slide in the yen that’s made it affordable for many superfans of Japanese culture to take in its sights and quirks for the first time.

Among Japan’s most-revered technological exports in recent years are its toilets — manufactured by TOTO  (5332.T), opens new tab , LIXIL  (5938.T), opens new tab  and others — that feature cleansing sprays, heated seats, music, and other functions.

The animated comedy “South Park” recently devoted an entire episode to them, and hip-hop impresario DJ Khaled gushed on Instagram about a gift of four TOTO bowls from the rapper Drake.

The Tokyo Toilet Project, started in 2020 by The Nippon Foundation non-profit, recruited creators including Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando to improve accessibility and artistry in 17 public toilets in the Shibuya district.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by DJ KHALED (@djkhaled)

The project wasn’t intended as a tourist attraction, but Shibuya’s government saw a chance to broaden the area’s visitor appeal away from its famously chaotic Scramble crossing.

“The highlight for visitors is that they can be driven around the less-visited parts of Shibuya and enjoy the entire district while checking out the toilets,” said Yumiko Nishi, a tourist association manager for the ward.

Shuttle passengers pay 4,950 yen ($32.76) to visit nine distinct toilets, including one with clear walls that turn opaque when users enter and another operated by voice commands.

Takao Karino, visiting from Japan’s western metropolis of Osaka, marvelled at the wide, vaulted entranceway of a facility created by British designer Miles Pennington.

“There’s nothing else like this in Japan,” Karino, 69, said about the tour. “It’s unusual, it’s unique, it’s honestly brilliant.”

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Revamped public toilets tours give visitors unique view of Tokyo

Tours of revamped public restrooms in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward were launched earlier this month to dispel the traditional perception of the facilities as being dirty and smelly, giving visitors from home and abroad a unique lens with which to view the city.

A total of 17 public restrooms have been redesigned by notable architects under The Tokyo Toilet project, turning the often neglected spaces to safer and more fashionable structures.

"Many people who join the tour are interested in architecture," said Yumiko Nishi, PR manager of the ward's tourism association, which organizes the tours via shuttle minivan.

Although the tour is still in its infancy, interest from overseas visitors has been trickling in, Nishi added, expressing hopes it will become more popular in the future.

While the tours are conducted primarily in Japanese, the project has been promoted in English language pamphlets and websites as well as photo exhibitions in the Japanese capital.

The architects involved in the project include Kengo Kuma, known for the National Stadium used for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics in the summer of 2021, and Toyo Ito, a Pritzker Architecture Prize winner credited for the National Taichung Theater in Taiwan.

Other participants have been drawn due to an interest in seeing locations shown in the Oscar-nominated film "Perfect Days," which follows the simple life of a public toilet cleaner in Tokyo played by Koji Yakusho, Nishi said.

The facilities include Ito's "Three Mushrooms," which is meant to resemble fungi that sprouted from the forest surrounding Yoyogi-Hachiman shrine, at the foot of where it is located.

The project was founded by the nonprofit Nippon Foundation and Koji Yanai, an executive at Fast Retailing Co., the operator of the Uniqlo clothing chain.

The first of the facilities in the project opened to the public in 2020, with the final additions made available last year. The restrooms are cleaned three times a day and undergo regular inspections.

The tours are broken into two parts -- the eastern and western route -- and are held simultaneously on Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. for 4,950 yen ($32) per person. They last for around two hours at a time, with participants allowed to use the facilities.

"The western route is slightly more popular as it covers many works by famous architects and is a less well-known area within the ward," Nishi said.

The route includes works by Shigeru Ban, who was the sole architect who contributed two separate facilities. The colorful, transparent bathrooms that turn opaque when locked are perhaps among the most well-known.

Ban's design was made to dispel fears around public restrooms, notably whether someone was already inside or hiding within them, Nishi said.

Shinobu Kojima, a participant at the western route tour, said her favorite was Sou Fujimoto's toilet, a bright white facility located in the Nishisando area, due to its "soft curves."

Multiple faucets in the front of the restrooms are placed on one soft slope at different levels, so that people of all ages can wash their hands simultaneously and with ease.

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Revamped public toilets tours give visitors unique view of Tokyo

Tours of revamped public restrooms in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward were launched earlier this month to dispel the traditional perception of the facilities as being dirty and smelly.

"Many people who join the tour are interested in architecture," said Yumiko Nishi, PR manager of the ward's tourism association, which organizes the tours via shuttle minivan.

Although the tour is still in its infancy, interest from overseas visitors has been trickling in, Nishi added, expressing hopes it will become more popular in the future.

While the tours are conducted primarily in Japanese, the project has been promoted in English language pamphlets and websites as well as photo exhibitions in the Japanese capital.

The architects involved in the project include Kengo Kuma, known for the National Stadium used for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics in the summer of 2021, and Toyo Ito, a Pritzker Architecture Prize winner known for many projects including the National Taichung Theater in Taiwan.

Other participants have been drawn due to an interest in seeing locations shown in the Oscar-nominated film "Perfect Days," which follows the simple life of a public toilet cleaner in Tokyo played by Koji Yakusho, Nishi said.

The facilities include Ito's "Three Mushrooms," which is meant to resemble fungi that sprouted from the forest surrounding Yoyogi-Hachiman shrine, at the foot of where it is located.

The project was founded by the nonprofit Nippon Foundation and Koji Yanai, an executive at Fast Retailing Co., the operator of the Uniqlo clothing chain.

The first of the facilities in the project opened to the public in 2020, with the final additions made available last year. The restrooms are cleaned three times a day and undergo regular inspections.

The tours are broken into two parts — the eastern and western route — and are held simultaneously on Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. for ¥4,950 ($32) per person. They last for around two hours at a time, with participants allowed to use the facilities.

"The western route is slightly more popular as it covers many works by famous architects and is a less well-known area within the ward," Nishi said.

The route includes works by Shigeru Ban, who was the sole architect who contributed two separate facilities. The colorful, transparent bathrooms that turn opaque when locked are perhaps among the most well-known.

Ban's design was made to dispel fears around public restrooms, notably whether someone was already inside or hiding within them, Nishi said.

Shinobu Kojima, a participant at the western route tour, said her favorite was Sou Fujimoto's toilet, a bright white facility located in the Nishisando area, due to its "soft curves."

Multiple faucets in the front of the restrooms are placed on one soft slope at different levels, so that people of all ages can wash their hands simultaneously and with ease.

In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.

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Go on the Tokyo Toilet Tour and Never Worry About Finding a Public Restroom Again

Japan’s public restrooms have in international reputation for being clean and well-maintained, but apparently that still wasn’t good enough. In 2020, the city of Shibuya and Nippon Foundation embarked on an initiative called Tokyo Toilet . They brought together some of the biggest names in architecture and design to renovate 17 public restrooms all throughout Shibuya. Now that all of them are complete, a new tour promises an in-depth exploration into the crossroads of public hygiene and architecture.

screenshot courtesy NearMe

The Tokyo Toilet Shuttle Tour is operated by ride-share company NearMe. A 4-hour long tour of all 17 toilet, or a 2-hour long tour divided into East and West, guides restroom enthusiasts through what are referred to as the symbols of Japan’s world-renowned hospitality culture. During the tour or after, you’ll never have to worry about finding a public restroom in Tokyo ever again.

You can learn more about the tours and sign up over at NearMe .

Below are a sample of some of our favorites.

NY-based designer  Nao Tamura’s  bathroom design was informed by her time in New York and the city’s respect towards the LGBTQ+ community. 

Architect  Shigeru Ban , whose design occupies 2 locations, created a bathroom whose walls are transparent when unoccupied.

Tadao Ando design features a circular floorplan with a spanning roof and  engawa  which, in Japanese architecture, is an edging strip of space on the outside of the building that occupies an area in between the interior and exterior.

Masamichi Katayama, the lead architect of  Wonder Wall , sought to create a contemporary Kawaya that was both art object and toilet through randomly positioning 15 concrete walls to creates an ambiguous space.

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February 19, 2024 at 5:15 pm

A lot of these toilets are featured in Perfect Days.

March 2, 2024 at 4:55 pm

Yes, It reminded me of this beautiful film and the main character works for Shibuya Tokyo Toilet company. I have not met a toilet I was not impressed with in Japan. So clean.

March 2, 2024 at 5:10 pm

A perfect movie.

March 2, 2024 at 8:24 pm

Such a wonderful movie! I just saw it.

March 7, 2024 at 9:21 am

Me too just watched the movie Prefect Days last night ! The OST is great too. I counted there are at least 10 toilets featured all of which i visited except 1. I was even interviewed by TBS at park toilet by Kengo Kuma and made my Prefect Day that day. Kudo all tokyo toilet maintenance personnel!

March 14, 2024 at 3:01 am

HI. Anyone knows if this NearMe tour includes an English speaking guide? I could not find any information about this on the web; and could not find their email address as well. TIA

Comments are closed.

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Japan Life Things To Do in Tokyo

Tokyo Toilet Tour | Sample Japan’s Finest Porcelain Thrones

Have a try at each one and decide your winner

February 20, 2024 Updated On February 21, 2024

The Nakagin Capsule Tower tour may have ended, but the Tokyo architecture tour lives on in the form of a new venture: Tokyo Toilet Tour . For up to four hours, attendees are able to see and experience works by 16 world-class architects as part of the Tokyo Toilet project.

Haru-no-Ogawa Community Park

What is the Tokyo Toilet Project?

In Japan, where toilets are the stuff of legend, and even feature in the television series South Park , people take them very seriously. Japanese toilets are on a different level to ones in other countries, and the public here is very exacting when it comes to lavatories. A clean toilet elsewhere may not cut the mustard in Japan. A survey by the project’s major sponsors, the Nippon Foundation, found that 30% of respondents were averse to using public restrooms.

This led to a plan to redesign 17 restrooms around Shibuya. It was named the Tokyo Toilet Project. The scheme called upon 16 of Japan’s top architects to create their own public toilets, including global superstars Shigeru Ban and Kengo Kuma. The toilets have been a resounding success, particularly Ban’s lavatories, which have attracted a lot of attention due to their color changing functionality. From May to October, the toilets lie as transparent boxes, until a user locks the door, and they become opaque, as if by magic.

A follow-up survey by the Nippon Foundation showed that people who were averse to using public toilets had dropped from 30% to only 3% as a result. The toilets also inspired Perfect Days, an Oscar-nominated feature film by director Wim Wenders , starring Koji Yakusho as a toilet cleaner going about his life.

Photos by Satoshi Nagare. Courtesy of The Nippon Foundation

What Happens on the Tokyo Toilet Tour?

Even for someone who lives in Tokyo, it is hard to experience every noteworthy toilet, as each is in its own designated space. An independent company, NearMe, has devised its own route so that everyone may experience the wonders of each Tokyo toilet. Driving around in a branded bus, attendees are guided by volunteers who introduce each toilet facility and its special features.

How Long Does the Tour Last?

There are three different options for the tour:

• Full course: this takes in all 17 of the toilets, lasting for four hours.
• West course: this 110-minute course covers areas like Yoyogi, Sasazuka and Hatagaya and features toilets by architects including Junko Kobayashi and Kengo Kuma.
• East Course: this 110-minute course includes Ebisu and Hiroo, covering architects such as Tadao Ando and Nao Tamura.

How Much is It?

The tour costs ¥9,900 for the full course and ¥4,950 for the east and west routes.

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• Tokyo Toilet Tour

Tokyo Toilet Tour (Available through ToursByLocals)

A tour of toilets may sound like a crazy activity to do, but the some of the top names in the Japanese architecture joined a project to redesign public restrooms in Tokyo's Shibuya district. If you are fans of Japanese contemporary architecture, then this will allow for a quick sample of the different styles of each of the architects.

The names include Tadao Ando, Fumihiko Maki, Kengo Kuma and Sou Fujimoto. Industrial designer Marc Newton also contributed to this project. The first of the new toilets began appearing in 2020, and with the completion of Fujimoto's new toilet near the Park Hyatt Hotel, all 17 that was planned is now complete.

Despite all being within the borders of Shibuya-ku, the toilets are fairly scattered throughout the ward and requires some planning to visit. 

The project has gotten some renewed interest after they were featured in the film " Perfect Days " by the German director Wim Wenders. In the film, Koji Yakusho plays the role of the cleaner of these toilets. Yakusho won the Best Actor award in the Cannes Film Festival for his performance.

The tour will go through some of the other highlights of the city, such as Shibuya, the Yoyogi Park and Meiji Shrine. It will be a tour of Tokyo from a unique perspective. If you are interested, the program can be booked exclusively from the ToursByLocals platform where I participate.

https://www.toursbylocals.com/tokyo-toilet

To learn more about this project, visit the Tokyo Toilet Project website 

https://tokyotoilet.jp/en/

Note on Shigeru Ban's "Transparent Toilets"

Originally, the cubicles were transparent when there is no one inside. The glass would become opaque when the door is locked. It uses light control film and when electricity is running the glass becomes transparent.

Soon after its completion, unexpected problems with this system occurred during colder weather when the glass would take an extra few seconds before fogging. After complaints from the public, the city decided to keep the cubicles  permanently opaque from mid October to mid May .

This has resulted in users experiencing difficultly determining whether the cubicles are occupied or not, especially after dark.

• Scroll to top

Tokyo toilet tours flush out 17 unique public restrooms in Shibuya Ward

T OKYO -- Join the Japanese capital's newest attraction: Tours of 17 unique public restrooms in Shibuya Ward, which began on March 1.

The Shibuya City Tourism Association and Tokyo's Chuo Ward-based NearMe Inc., a ride service provider using artificial intelligence, have launched the "Tokyo Toilet Shuttle Tour." The restrooms were designed by prominent Japanese architects and designers as part of a renovation project promoted by organizations including the Nippon Foundation. The tourism association says, "We would like to promote this as a new tourism resource for inbound and domestic travelers."

The restrooms on the tours were renovated between 2018 and 2023 by the Nippon Foundation and the Shibuya Ward Office to dispel the image of public toilets as dirty, smelly and dark. Sixteen internationally renowned architects and designers, including Tadao Ando and Kengo Kuma, participated in the design of the facilities. They are all filled with the creators' ideas, such as the "Jingumae public restroom" designed to resemble an old-fashioned home in the Harajuku district, and the "Yoyogi-Hachiman public restroom" resembling mushrooms growing in harmony with the nearby forest.

Last May, Koji Yakusho won best actor at the 76th Cannes Film Festival for his role in "Perfect Days," a movie about the daily life of a public restroom cleaner in Shibuya Ward. The tours have been launched just in time to leverage growing public interest in the toilets both at home and abroad generated by the film.

There are two tour routes: the East Course, which visits eight locations in the eastern part of the ward, including the Jingumae public restroom, and the West Course, which visits nine locations in the western part of the ward, including the Yoyogi-Hachiman public restroom. The tour fee for is both 4,950 yen (about $33). Tour applications can be made at the NearMe website .

(Japanese original by Yusuke Kato, Tokyo City News Department)

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• Entertainment

Tokyo toilet tours flush out 17 unique public restrooms in Shibuya Ward

March 1, 2024 (Mainichi Japan)

Japanese version

TOKYO -- Join the Japanese capital's newest attraction: Tours of 17 unique public restrooms in Shibuya Ward, which began on March 1.

The Shibuya City Tourism Association and Tokyo's Chuo Ward-based NearMe Inc., a ride service provider using artificial intelligence, have launched the "Tokyo Toilet Shuttle Tour." The restrooms were designed by prominent Japanese architects and designers as part of a renovation project promoted by organizations including the Nippon Foundation. The tourism association says, "We would like to promote this as a new tourism resource for inbound and domestic travelers."

The restrooms on the tours were renovated between 2018 and 2023 by the Nippon Foundation and the Shibuya Ward Office to dispel the image of public toilets as dirty, smelly and dark. Sixteen internationally renowned architects and designers, including Tadao Ando and Kengo Kuma, participated in the design of the facilities. They are all filled with the creators' ideas, such as the "Jingumae public restroom" designed to resemble an old-fashioned home in the Harajuku district, and the "Yoyogi-Hachiman public restroom" resembling mushrooms growing in harmony with the nearby forest.

Last May, Koji Yakusho won best actor at the 76th Cannes Film Festival for his role in "Perfect Days," a movie about the daily life of a public restroom cleaner in Shibuya Ward. The tours have been launched just in time to leverage growing public interest in the toilets both at home and abroad generated by the film.

There are two tour routes: the East Course, which visits eight locations in the eastern part of the ward, including the Jingumae public restroom, and the West Course, which visits nine locations in the western part of the ward, including the Yoyogi-Hachiman public restroom. The tour fee for is both 4,950 yen (about $33). Tour applications can be made at the NearMe website .

(Japanese original by Yusuke Kato, Tokyo City News Department)

Related Articles

• 17 public toilets in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward renovated to dispel dirty, dark image
• Wim Wenders making a film about fancy public restrooms in Japan
• Koji Yakusho's best actor award at Cannes sheds light on story behind 'Perfect Days'

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A Tour of TOTO's New Toilet Museum

When travelers to Japan tell me about the most memorable things they experienced on their trips here, I am always intrigued by what invariably makes the top 10 list: "Japan's toilets are amazing!!" Japan has earned an international reputation for making some of the planet's most sophisticated and comfortable toilets, and an encounter with one in Japan is, frankly, hard to miss.

But for those curious about how Japan came so far in this normally out-of-the-spotlight arena, TOTO, Japan's premier toilet and washroom product manufacturer, has recently created a truly unique destination. Opened in August 2015 in northern Fukuoka Prefecture's Kitakyushu, the TOTO Museum is devoted to sharing both the history of flush toilets and washroom products in Japan as well as the history of one of the companies that propelled Japanese toilets to their modern day fame.

I recently made my way to Kitakyushu to pay the museum a visit, and the first striking thing about it is best appreciated on the outside. The super-modern architectural design features a distinct lack of 90-degree edges, and combined with highly rounded, rimmed curves and a glowing white finish, it's easy to see where the inspiration came from.

Upon walking into the museum, which is free to visit, the main exhibition hall's feature exhibit starts right off with how modern toilets came to Japan almost exactly 100 years ago. In 1914, TOTO succeeded in developing Japan's first domestically manufactured Western-style toilet (sitting-style flush toilets), a replica of which crowns the first section of the exhibit. At a time when most Japanese were quite used to using traditional squat toilets, and when no sewage infrastructure existed to handle networks of flush toilets, the company's risky decision to create its own mass production kiln for their brave new product seems particularly bold.

The company's entire history, from its beginnings as a ceramic tableware manufacturer to the present, is laid out here in thoughtful yet concise displays. While much of the main information is displayed in Japanese, scattered strategically throughout the museum are signs with QR codes that allow visitors to scan them with a smartphone, immediately bringing up very detailed information that fully explains everything both in written text and audio in English, Korean, and Mandarin and Cantonese.

Beyond pioneering flush toilets in Japan, TOTO worked diligently to turn their commodes into household commodities throughout the first half of the 20th century. At first only appearing as luxuries in places like the National Diet Building and high-end hotels, Western-style toilets took Japan by storm after World War II as the nation rebuilt its cities, with much help from companies like TOTO, and were eventually outpacing squat toilets by the 1970s.

With plenty of economic momentum behind it, in 1980, TOTO took its next step forward in toilet technology as it introduced the country's first domestically produced bidet-equipped toilet seat. While it remains a novelty in many countries, the Washlet (TOTO's signature brand of bidet-toilet) has since become a household product in over half of Japanese households and many public and private spaces.

As I continued through the museum, I couldn't help but admire the modern architecture and design of the building itself. A point that TOTO is quite proud of is the fact that the building was designed to be extraordinarily energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. From using recycled sanitary ware scraps in its construction, to natural ventilation and lighting systems, to solar power generation, to rooftop greenery, the building is very much an embodiment of the company's values of modernization and promoting healthy cultural lifestyles.

The next exhibit in the museum stepped back from the history of the company itself and focused more on how toilets have advanced and been adopted in Japan throughout history. Starting all the way back at prehistoric humans' methods of waste management and going through the age of samurai, the introduction of flush toilets, and into the modern era, the exhibit is impressively thorough and engaging.

Some of the most interesting displays feature actual artifacts from the mid-20th century, including manufacturing tools, miniature models used by salesmen, and dioramas and pamphlets designed to introduce TOTO's modern products to people who had never even seen flush toilets before.

While TOTO may be best known in Japan, it also has a reputation for selling some of the world's most sophisticated toilets abroad, as well. Another fascinating exhibit showcased toilets and washroom products specifically tailored for foreign markets. It was interesting to compare more compact toilets popular in Europe to classically shaped larger toilets popular in the U.S.A. to gold-trimmed bathtubs popular as luxury items in China.

At the end of the tour, it's hard not to leave feeling a new appreciation for how pleasant a thoughtfully designed toilet can improve the everyday experience of using a restroom, especially after seeing (and trying!) some of TOTO's newest items. Walking into a restroom to a sleekly designed toilet's lid automatically rising to greet you, with a warmed toilet seat and built-in bidet is a nice experience in itself. But the latest TOTO models even feature a system that automatically cleans and sanitizes the bowl using electrolyzed water (in addition to deodorizing), avoiding the need to use chemicals to clean by hand.

If you're considering upgrading your own lavatory experience, TOTO has plenty of inspiration on offer!

Learn more about TOTO's toilets and other products here: Learn more about TOTO

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• Theme Parks

Even Star Wars Land’s restrooms are in character

Disneyland’s new Star Wars expansion imagines the loos of a galaxy far, far away

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Share All sharing options for: Even Star Wars Land’s restrooms are in character

Disneyland is a meticulously crafted illusion, in which the tiniest details transport guests into the past, the future, or a land of fantasy.

Then those guests enter the restroom, where an ordinary collection of toilets and sinks snap them out of the magic.

Disneyland’s new Star Wars land, Galaxy’s Edge , takes restrooms seriously. It’s hard to keep lavatories “in character” at theme parks. In the United States, laws regulate the design of restrooms available to a business’ customers. They influence everything: the number of sinks, the upkeep of toilets, the material of the floors, the accessibility of the restroom itself, and plenty more. As a result, theme parks — Disney included — tend to keep restrooms simple, even if that briefly breaks the illusion of being somewhere beyond the real world.

During a press preview of Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland, I had a chance to tour the restrooms, which are located on the map below:

They feel like restrooms I’d find on a rough and tumble settlement at the edge of the galaxy, which is a weird thing to say considering fiction has given so few examples of what a space bathroom might even look like.

Even though the restroom is immaculately clean, there’s an intentional griminess to the art direction. The floor and walls, brand new, have been modified to look dozens of years old. The mirror is a little foggy and crusty. I may have been the first person to take a restroom selfie at Galaxy’s Edge. Truly, this will be my legacy.

This particular restroom doesn’t have front doors, and the sinks are long communal troughs. The design has a “public restroom on an Outer Rim budget” vibe.

The restrooms still have some pieces of the real-world, as they should. For example, folks should be able to properly dispose of their sharps. I especially liked the baby changing station; some designer got to art direct the required signage.

I spoke with Matt Martin, a creative executive for Lucasfilm’s story group, to learn how they fit the restroom into the Star Wars universe.

“There’s not a literal story in [the restrooms],” said Martin. “It just has a visual story. But yeah, it was definitely considered.

“I remember sending over reference of Star Wars bathrooms. The Batuu bathrooms don’t fit with what we’ve really seen so far. Rebels had a bathroom, but it was inside of a ship — it was not exactly the same as the inside of a smuggler outpost. But they definitely looked at reference for the bathrooms. They thought of everything .”

Star Wars Land: a guide to Galaxy’s Edge

• 13 tips for a better trip to Disneyland’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
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• Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge visitors need to meet the land’s main character, Vi Moradi
• How to get the most out of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, from a fan who’s been there
• The one way you can still get a Star Wars Land reservation during its first month
• Building a custom lightsaber at Star Wars Land blends a drug deal with a religious experience
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• A close-up look at the otherworldly food and drink of Star Wars Land
• The most expensive piece of Star Wars Land merch costs more than a year of college
• The Easter eggs hidden in Star Wars Land’s Millennium Falcon ride
• A close-up look at Star Wars Land’s life-size, hyper-detailed Millennium Falcon
• The best Star Wars Land Easter egg honors Jar Jar Binks
• How Disney’s Star Wars Land connects the prequels, sequels, and Expanded Universe
• Star Wars Land tells a canon story, but it repeats itself like Groundhog Day
• Disney’s Star Wars land comics series starts off with a fun callback to Return of the Jedi
• What we discovered on the opening day of Star Wars Land
• A tour of Disneyland’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in 30 photos
• Here’s what the crowds and lines were like at Star Wars Land’s opening day
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run review: Star Wars Land’s ride shines
• Disneyland’s exec chef explains why Star Wars Land’s Blue Milk has a surprise taste
• Listen to John Williams’ new theme for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
• Disney’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge theme park lands, explained
• Disneyland has strict time slots for Star Wars land guests
• Disney reveals how its Parks app will make Star Wars Land even more immersive
• Disney’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will open this May in California, August in Florida
• Disney Parks will resurrect an old ride to lure people away from Star Wars Land

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• Restrooms on RS T...

Restrooms on RS Tours (Best of Italy)

I have mild-to-moderate chronic bladder pain that has not responded well to medication. Drinking lots of water not only keeps me hydrated but also helps with the pain, as long as I am able to use the bathroom (restroom).

In your experience, does the tour guide periodically point out such places? I recall a RS staff person saying that some of the buses have restrooms, others not...

I've been on 2 RS tours and there were no bathrooms on the bus. However, the bus stops about every 2 hours at a place where you can stretch your legs and use the facilities. I hope this helps.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I will have to not drink as much water as I do at home...I figured that every so often the driver would want to stop and let people respond to the call of Nature.

We've been on half a dozen RS tours (including Best of Italy) and all the busses had bathrooms but they were rarely used since there were stops fairly often. I think that might not be the case in Spain, but I'm not positive.

Denny, I've been on 21 RS tours. Most, but not all, of the buses have had a bathroom, but we were asked to save it for emergencies. There would be no problem with you using them. Buses do stop every couple hours by law and it's always at a place with bathrooms. I've found that the guides are very conscious of restroom needs when we're out and about. I would suggest that you discuss this with your guide at the beginning of the tour as your health and comfort are important factors in enjoying the tour. This is just part of the job of a guide.

There isn't a bus in this world ( that I can think of) that has a bathroom, rest room.. Some have toilets which is what we are really looking for, right? Why is it that many Americans, perhaps others as well, find it so difficult to use the word "toilet?" I have found in my travels that if you ask for the bathroom, you are greeted with a blank stare. Ask for the toilet or the WC (Vayztay) and off you go. As far as your question goes, Denny, I have only been on one Rick Steves tour with a daughter and granddaughter and there were frequent rest stops. I don't recall anyone being in distress. Hope this helps.

Wouldn't that be "double- vay say" ?

I have been on 12 RS Tours, soon to be #13 (Bulgaria) and 99% of the busses have had a toilet but it was explained at the beginning of each tour that it was to be used only for emergencies as the bus would be stopping every two hours (+/-) for a rest stop. Only time I saw one used was last summer in Greece when a person who had picked the wrong type of tour went and use the toilet right after we started out the first of second morning without asking anyone. Come to find out, the bus driver had stored all of his belongings in the toilet as he was relocating. Bad karma that extended too long. I get up every two hours to use a toilet due to a medication I take and I have never had a problem lasting from stop to stop. I do practice "holding it" for some period of time before the tour begins which seems to help. I think that if you do not dwell on those needs, you just might be more successful. Happy travels.

I think I could "manage" if I strictly used the bathroom (toilet) right before the beginning of the day's bus trip and then at each 2-hour interval. And sipped small amounts of water during the two-hours rather than gulp a liter down at once (which I can do). I'm not sure what would constitute a "real emergency" other than particular discomfort.

Isn't one of RS's travel mottos, "never pass up a toilet break"? Even on the city walking tours, the guide for Heart of Italy made sure there were breaks and would point out the W.C. You'll never be the only one looking.

Thanks! I've been feeling kind of "stupid" for asking this question.

We all think about these things, Denny!

I kind of wish the guides would lighten up on the emergency only toilet use advisory. Without getting into details, I really needed to use the toilet within minutes after we left the hotel after something I ate got the best of me. Rather than trying to self-determine whether I had an "emergency" or not, I toughed it out for the next hour and a half until we got to a stop. Not a pleasant experience but I made it.

The company does an excellent job of scheduling breaks every two hours. So it's rarely an issue. But occasionally it is. It would be nice to not have to feel like something of a pariah for using the toilet on the bus when those rare occasions occur.

Denny, when starting the tour, let your guide and the driver know of your medical condition and that they might need to stop in case you are in pain. You should not have to suffer pain and also, with your condition, trying to suffer in silence can lead to bladder infection which can lead to kidney infections that can cause the loss of a kidney. I have a similar problem and could make a directory of where toilets are in 100 countries! We don't go on tours other than short day tours in various places but it pays to let your guide and driver know in advance rather than trying to explain during an emergency.

I'm not an expert by any means, but I've been told that the reason most bus/coach drivers want to minimize the use of the coach toilet is because the drivers have to clean them. They love driving, but cleaning toilets? Not so much. I also had a long chat with a coach driver in Wales on a non-RS multi day tour who said the holding tanks are small and he could not dump it until he got back to his home base. Therefore if anyone used it for anything other than urine it would make the coach smelly. Someone on that tour did and yes, it was smelly and not just after the big moment . (RS tour guide in Paris giving us a lesson on what to do and what not to do when using the public sanitizing toilets which replaced the pissoirs said she and her friends in college used that term. Thank goodness for those audio systems because she had us cracking up!)

Denny, I agree that you should just pull your guide aside early on in your tour and just let him/her know your needs. Usually after the initial introduction/meet-up you will have a few minutes to chat with the guide about special needs. People often use this time to let the guide know if they have special dietary needs/allergies and for other things.

You are getting close aren't you? I know you will have a wonderful time!

Norma--I'm not quite sure how to answer your question because I don't know if you're joking or asking a serious question. and I don't want to look like an idiot. The W is translated as vay and the C as tsay.

No. The letter W in French is pronounced "double-vay". If you say "vay" that is the letter V. W is made of two Vs, therefore "double V". I only mention it because if you use your pronunciation you are asking for the VC, not the WC.

I see where the confusion comes in. I was doing German pronunciation. In German the letter V is fau, the letter W is vay--a VW car is a fauvay.. Thanks for chiming in--always good to hear what others think.

Okey dokey.

One point to emphasize that was mentioned above: whatever you're used to calling it, in Europe you want to ask for a "toilet" to be sure of getting what you want. Even though that sounds "coarse" to me, it's how it's done, so you have to get used to it. If you ask for a "bathroom" or "washroom" or "restroom" or any of the other North American terms, you genuinely might not be understood.

So, Denny, in Italian you would ask: Dov'è il gabinetto, per favore OR Dov'è la toiletta, per favore, or if that's too much to contemplate, put on a questioning expression and just say "Toiletta ?" and then "Grazie"

Denny, I agree that you should just pull your guide aside early on in your tour and just let him/her know your needs. Usually after the initial introduction/meet-up you will have a few minutes to chat with the guide about special needs. People often use this time to let the guide know if they have special dietary needs/allergies and for other things. You are getting close aren't you? I know you will have a wonderful time!

I'm leaving next Wednesday! Time seems to be accelerating fast! I'll undoubtedly feeling at least a little vertiginous as the time approaches very close.

Thanks for that bit of advice about talking to the guide early on in the tour. Because of my, I'll be frank, unresolved bladder issues, urinating even when I don't have a full bladder relieves the discomfort considerably. I don't think I'd probably fill up a whole tank, and, hopefully, not make the bus malodorous.

So, Denny, in Italian you would ask: Dov'è il gabinetto, per favore OR Dov'è la toiletta, per favore, or if that's too much to contemplate, put on a questioning expression and just say "Toiletta ?" and then "Grazie."

Norma, I am assuming you know French, could I simply say--it'd be much easier--in French:

" Je cherche le WC....pourriez-vous me dire ou le trouver? Grazie."

But " Toiletta? " (with questioning look) and then " Grazie " I should be able to remember as well.

It's just that the French--a full sentence--sounds more polite.

Well Denny, the French phrase seems polite and even elegant, but I trust your primary goal here would be to find the darn toilet as quickly as possible, not to be either polite nor elegant. "Toiletta?" or just "Toilet please?" would meet your need, while speaking French would likely just confuse the matter and delay your quest. I do believe that more people in Italy will speak either English or maybe some German than will speak French. In some public places you may need to pay half a euro or so to use the WC, not usually true in museums. In small businesses, like restaurants and stores, the WC is often for customers only, which is why one of my mottoes in Italy is: "When you need a bathroom, go into a gelateria, order a gelato and pay for it, then ask to use the bathroom, then pick up your gelato on the way out. Then, enjoy the gelato!"

If you really want to use French for whatever reason, say, "Pardon, ou se trouve la toilette, s'il vous plâit?"

Thank you for the correction, Norma. I was thinking too literally in English and forgetting the necessity of adhering to the forms of politesse in French.

In small businesses, like restaurants and stores, the WC is often for customers only, which is why one of my mottoes in Italy is: "When you need a bathroom, go into a gelateria, order a gelato and pay for it, then ask to use the bathroom, then pick up your gelato on the way out. Then, enjoy the gelato!"

Thanks, Larry, for the suggestion. I was stumping hard my brain for an alternative to gulping down an espresso and not coming up with an alternative way of using a WC at a private business.

I'd like to chime in on the "emergency" toilet since I used to have to give that speech.

Pam was correct. Driver's cannot empty the holding tanks at every stop. Sometimes it's days. So, we ask that passengers only use it in an emergency.

As for the odor, that's why the speech is given. However, there is a way to mask it....motor oil. Pour some motor oil into the toilet and it will cover up the smell. A driver taught me that after a passenger had to "use it" in an emergency.

So, Frank II, you and your driver were intentionally polluting a sewage treatment plant (where all that black water goes after it has been drained from the tank at a government run tank drain) with motor oil?

That's a bit naughty....

It was back in the days before pollution.

Denny, I recently returned from a non-RS trip that included Portugal, Spain, & France, primarily Spain. Our guide told us as the bus left the Lisbon airport the law states Bus drivers must stop every two (2) hours which our driver abided by. Our bus did not have toilets. The bus was similar to a city bus here in the USA, only with seat belts & bins above our heads.

Incontinence pads are great for people like us to get from point A to the rest stop with peace of mind.

I wish you a good travel experience.

And to beat this fine point to death ;-) My French instructors (from France) all taught that 'WC' translated to 'VC' when pronouncing it, so it's 'vay-say’.

...but...I go (no pun intended) with 'toilette'? ('twah-let'?) Works from Paris to Munich to Rome to Prague.

Now if you'll excuse me...

I have gotten by with a smile & "Pardone, Madame/Señora toilet?"

If one knows the language, terrific! If one does not, keep it simple!

I can confirm that while Norma is literally correct in how to pronounce those letters, it is customarily shortened to "vay say" when speaking the French language. "Ou sont les toilettes" obviously works too. Just my two cents. Hopefully that can help if anyone is asking for the bathroom. While I've had a bathroom on the bus for each of my tours, other posters are correct that this is not always the case and the bus typically stops every two hours for bathroom breaks.

I believe the 2 hour max driving time is correct.

But.... even the best drivers can get stuck in rush hour, or stopped for a long time due to an accident.

Take advantage of modern, clean toilets whenever you can.

Hold on for a minute, I will be right back.

While I know that Denny is currently enjoying (or not) the WC, Toilet, Bathroom, restroom, Loo, whatever, I still have to post about my experience on the Berlin Prague and Vienna tour. Christoph, our guide explained early on to all of us about the need to ALWAYS take advantage of the WC, toilette etc whenever it was offered. We also discussed and became familiar with the Pay to Pee facilities--shortened to P2P. :) And by the end of our ten day trip we were all well synchronized.

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San Francisco Celebrates Its New Public Toilet

The town threw a party for the opening of a $1.7 million public restroom.

By Heather Knight

San Francisco closed the lid Sunday on the saga of a $1.7 million public restroom . To commemorate the commode’s installation, residents celebrated at a “potty party” they called the Toilet Bowl.

Lookie-loos lined up in the Noe Valley Town Square to give the loo a whirl. A band played songs including “Sloop John B” by the Beach Boys. (“This is a song about a john!” the band leader explained.) Children sipped lemonade and ate chocolate cupcakes while they tossed bean bags into plastic training potties on the ground.

San Francisco may have been a laughingstock over the news that it planned to spend $1.7 million to construct a single public restroom with a sink and toilet, getting skewered by late-night comedians and inspiring the “it” costume at Halloween parties.

But on Sunday, the city got the last laugh.

“We wanted to, you know, really roll with it,” said Zach D’Angelo, dressed as a giant roll of toilet paper with a red plunger as his hat. D’Angelo, the host of Tuesday night trivia at a pub down the street, served as the Toilet Bowl’s emcee — or, as he put it, the Grand Poobah.

“I am flush with excitement!” he exclaimed before he started telling toilet jokes that he said he had gotten from his 7-year-old nephew.

The mood wasn’t quite so lighthearted in October 2022 when city officials announced a news conference in the Noe Valley Town Square to celebrate securing $1.7 million in state funds to build the 150-square-foot restroom — enough money to buy a whole single-family house in the city.

The square was built in 2016 with outdoor seating, a playground and plumbing for a public toilet, but no actual toilet, because money for the project had fallen short.

Just as puzzling as the price tag was the timeline. The city said it would take two to three years to install the restroom, even after it secured the state funds.

Neighbors and a local journalist (well, me) began to question the details of the project. City officials explained the toilet would have to be approved by numerous city commissions. It would also be subject to environmental review. All that, plus the high cost of construction in the city, made the project expensive and time-consuming.

Politicians began distancing themselves from the bathroom brouhaha. Gov. Gavin Newsom took back the state money.

Then, Chad Kaufman, president of the Public Restroom Company, offered to donate a modular toilet instead. He and Vaughan Buckley, the chief executive of Volumetric Building Companies, paid for architecture and engineering work to get the site ready. They also paid for a truck to carry the modular toilet to the square, a crane to lift it into place and union labor to install it.

The tab for the city dropped to $200,000, and Mayor London Breed announced legislation that she said would help bring down the cost of other public projects. It would let city departments team up to get group discounts on goods and services for small jobs. The state gave the $1.7 million back to San Francisco again, and the city says it will be used to build more toilets.

In the end, the new red restroom in the Noe Valley Town Square was worthy of celebration. On Sunday, a woman doled out toilet trivia. Local librarians handed out free copies of children’s books entitled “Everyone Poops” and “Time to Use the Potty.” There was a toilet-themed costume contest with whoopee cushions as prizes.

Three San Francisco politicians — Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, State Senator Scott Wiener and Assemblyman Matt Haney — addressed the crowd. Haney posed for a photo in front of the bathroom.

“It’s not gold-plated, but it’s worth its weight in gold,” he said with a laugh.

Debra Niemann, director of the Noe Valley Association, a neighborhood improvement group, said she didn’t think the toilet travails had done much to make city projects, including public restrooms, any cheaper to build.

“But at least we got one,” she said. “It’s beautiful. It’s clean. It’s simple. It’s everything you could want in a public toilet.”

Heather Knight is the San Francisco bureau chief of The New York Times.

The rest of the news

Gov. Gavin Newsom is ready to propose legislation to make it easier for Arizonans to seek abortions in California , Politico reports.

A new television ad portraying a woman being stopped by the police as she tries to leave her state to obtain an abortion, will air today in Alabama ; the ad was produced by a political action committee created by Newsom.

Southern California

The official residence of Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles was broken into while the mayor and her family were inside . Her office said that the intruder was taken into custody and that neither the mayor nor anyone in her family were injured.

The University of Southern California said it would eliminate outside speakers and honorees from its main commencement program, after protests erupted over the school’s decision to cancel a speech by the class valedictorian.

Fifteen people were injured in a crash involving a tram at Universal Studios Hollywood, NBC Los Angeles reports.

Roman Gabriel, quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams for 11 of his 16 seasons in the N.F.L., died on Saturday at his home in Little River, S.C. He was 83 .

Northern California

The Alameda police officers who pinned a man face down for about five minutes will face charges of involuntary manslaughter in the man’s death, prosecutors said.

Golden Gate Ferry service between San Francisco and Sausalito was suspended indefinitely after a routine inspection of the Sausalito pier found a structural problem, The San Francisco Chronicle reports.

And before you go, some good news

Sacramento is one of the Top 50 U.S. cities on Money’s list of the best places to live in 2024, The Sacramento Bee reports. The list cited the city’s “vibrant cultural scene” and specifically mentioned Crocker Art Museum, B Street Theater and the Farm-to-Fork Festival.

Thanks for reading. We’ll be back tomorrow.

P.S. Here’s today’s Mini Crossword .

Soumya Karlamangla and Briana Scalia contributed to California Today. You can reach the team at [email protected].

Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox .

An earlier version of a caption misstated the name of a child in the toilet paper costume contest. He is Leo Lippi-Hoffman, not Leo Lippy-Hoffman.

How we handle corrections

Heather Knight is a reporter in San Francisco, leading The Times’s coverage of the Bay Area and Northern California. More about Heather Knight

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Moscow Metro

The Moscow Metro Tour is included in most guided tours’ itineraries. Opened in 1935, under Stalin’s regime, the metro was not only meant to solve transport problems, but also was hailed as “a people’s palace”. Every station you will see during your Moscow metro tour looks like a palace room. There are bright paintings, mosaics, stained glass, bronze statues… Our Moscow metro tour includes the most impressive stations best architects and designers worked at - Ploshchad Revolutsii, Mayakovskaya, Komsomolskaya, Kievskaya, Novoslobodskaya and some others.

What is the kremlin in russia?

The guide will not only help you navigate the metro, but will also provide you with fascinating background tales for the images you see and a history of each station.

And there some stories to be told during the Moscow metro tour! The deepest station - Park Pobedy - is 84 metres under the ground with the world longest escalator of 140 meters. Parts of the so-called Metro-2, a secret strategic system of underground tunnels, was used for its construction.

During the Second World War the metro itself became a strategic asset: it was turned into the city's biggest bomb-shelter and one of the stations even became a library. 217 children were born here in 1941-1942! The metro is the most effective means of transport in the capital.

There are almost 200 stations 196 at the moment and trains run every 90 seconds! The guide of your Moscow metro tour can explain to you how to buy tickets and find your way if you plan to get around by yourself.

Moscow Metro Tour

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Moscow metro private tours.

• 2-hour tour $87:  10 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with hotel pick-up and drop-off
• 3-hour tour $137:  20 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with Russian lunch in beautifully-decorated Metro Diner + hotel pick-up and drop off. 
• Metro pass is included in the price of both tours.

Highlight of Metro Tour

• Visit 10 must-see stations of Moscow metro on 2-hr tour and 20 Metro stations on 3-hr tour, including grand Komsomolskaya station with its distinctive Baroque décor, aristocratic Mayakovskaya station with Soviet mosaics, legendary Revolution Square station with 72 bronze sculptures and more!
• Explore Museum of Moscow Metro and learn a ton of technical and historical facts;
• Listen to the secrets about the Metro-2, a secret line supposedly used by the government and KGB;
• Experience a selection of most striking features of Moscow Metro hidden from most tourists and even locals;
• Discover the underground treasure of Russian Soviet past – from mosaics to bronzes, paintings, marble arches, stained glass and even paleontological elements;
• Learn fun stories and myths about Coffee Ring, Zodiac signs of Moscow Metro and more;
• Admire Soviet-era architecture of pre- and post- World War II perious;
• Enjoy panoramic views of Sparrow Hills from Luzhniki Metro Bridge – MetroMost, the only station of Moscow Metro located over water and the highest station above ground level;
• If lucky, catch a unique «Aquarelle Train» – a wheeled picture gallery, brightly painted with images of peony, chrysanthemums, daisies, sunflowers and each car unit is unique;
• Become an expert at navigating the legendary Moscow Metro system;
• Have fun time with a very friendly local;
• + Atmospheric Metro lunch in Moscow’s the only Metro Diner (included in a 3-hr tour)

Hotel Pick-up

Metro stations:.

Komsomolskaya

Novoslobodskaya

Prospekt Mira

Belorusskaya

Mayakovskaya

Novokuznetskaya

Revolution Square

Sparrow Hills

+ for 3-hour tour

Victory Park

Slavic Boulevard

Vystavochnaya

Dostoevskaya

Elektrozavodskaya

Partizanskaya

Museum of Moscow Metro

• Drop-off  at your hotel, Novodevichy Convent, Sparrow Hills or any place you wish
• + Russian lunch  in Metro Diner with artistic metro-style interior for 3-hour tour

Fun facts from our Moscow Metro Tours:

From the very first days of its existence, the Moscow Metro was the object of civil defense, used as a bomb shelter, and designed as a defense for a possible attack on the Soviet Union.

At a depth of 50 to 120 meters lies the second, the coded system of Metro-2 of Moscow subway, which is equipped with everything you need, from food storage to the nuclear button.

According to some sources, the total length of Metro-2 reaches over 150 kilometers.

The Museum was opened on Sportivnaya metro station on November 6, 1967. It features the most interesting models of trains and stations.

Coffee Ring

The first scheme of Moscow Metro looked like a bunch of separate lines. Listen to a myth about Joseph Stalin and the main brown line of Moscow Metro.

Zodiac Metro

According to some astrologers, each of the 12 stops of the Moscow Ring Line corresponds to a particular sign of the zodiac and divides the city into astrological sector.

Astrologers believe that being in a particular zadiac sector of Moscow for a long time, you attract certain energy and events into your life.

Paleontological finds 

Red marble walls of some of the Metro stations hide in themselves petrified inhabitants of ancient seas. Try and find some!

• Every day each car in  Moscow metro passes  more than 600 km, which is the distance from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
• Moscow subway system is the  5th in the intensity  of use (after the subways of Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai).
• The interval in the movement of trains in rush hour is  90 seconds .

What you get:

• + A friend in Moscow.
• + Private & customized Moscow tour.
• + An exciting pastime, not just boring history lessons.
• + An authentic experience of local life.
• + Flexibility during the walking tour: changes can be made at any time to suit individual preferences.
• + Amazing deals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the very best cafes & restaurants. Discounts on weekdays (Mon-Fri).
• + A photo session amongst spectacular Moscow scenery that can be treasured for a lifetime.
• + Good value for souvenirs, taxis, and hotels.
• + Expert advice on what to do, where to go, and how to make the most of your time in Moscow.

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Relief as San Francisco public toilet finally opens – and not for $1.7m after all

Bathroom in Noe Valley neighborhood, which became focus of ire for reported $1.7m cost, actually came in at about $200,000

San Francisco made international headlines in 2022 when news broke that a project to build a public restroom in a town square would cost $1.7m. This weekend the toilet affair finally came to an end as the city celebrated its newest lavatory.

Residents gathered for a toilet-themed party in the Noe Valley town square on Sunday that was designed to poke fun at the whole saga and celebrate the long-awaited bathroom, which ended up costing far less than the initial price tag.

A band called American Standard (after the toilet company) performed, kids wearing toilet paper played and attendees took part in a number of toilet-themed games.

“Noe Valley, let’s hear it for our not $1.7m bathroom,” Leslie Crawford, an event organizer, said to cheers in footage from CBS San Francisco.

The celebration marked a jubilant end to the battle over the toilet, which began in 2022 when the San Francisco Chronicle reported the staggering cost of the project. The city had argued the price tag was “consistent with the inflationary pressures on all San Francisco public works projects”, and said the cost of “materials and skilled labor” had risen 23.2% since the start of the pandemic.

San Francisco is the most expensive city in the world to build in, in part because multiple departments must approve construction, the city’s recreation and parks department has said.

Visitors to the area had long requested a toilet, but the $1.7m price tag caused outrage. For some it was yet another example of government waste and a city incapable of reasonably meeting its residents’ most basic needs. It even prompted the California governor’s office to weigh in.

“A single, small bathroom should not cost $1.7m,” a spokesperson for Gavin Newsom told the Chronicle . The office threatened to withhold the state funding allocated for the project until the city offered a plan to use it more efficiently.

But after much backlash and mockery, a private company offered to donate a modular bathroom while another covered the architecture and engineering work for the project, the New York Times reported.

The price tag for the new 50 sq ft restroom came in at about $200,000, mostly in labor costs.

On Sunday, residents celebrated the new restroom at the “toilet bowl” event. People tested it out while offering plenty of puns. “I’m flush with excitement,” one person told CBS San Francisco.

“When everybody laughs at you, you gotta take the power back and laugh at yourself,” Crawford told the outlet.

• San Francisco

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