Public toilets: at best, they’re functional, at worst, dirty, dark and even unsafe. But in Shibuya, a busy ward in Tokyo, Japan, officials want public toilets to inspire wonder. Last year, they started a tour of 17 bathroom facilities designed by world-class artists and architects. One is housed inside a glowing cube, another resembles a fairy-like woodland dwelling and yet another toilet, operated by voice, will clean your backside on command. The World’s Patrick Winn filed this report last summer.

This story originally aired on June 21, 2024.