Public toilets need to be clean but artistic? Well thats an experience which I bumped into at Meguro Gajoen recently. Built in 1935 and known as the Showa Era’s ‘Palace of the Dragon God,’ Meguro Gajoen is the first wedding complex to be built in Japan. The rest room is elegantly designed in an oriental theme right from the entrance to the detailed interiors.. A few snapshots taking care we do not expose who’s in there…, well nearly.The entrance itself is no nicely designed with Japanese art work that at first shot you might walk past it without realizing that its a rest room. Had it not been for the Ladies/Gentleman sign in between, I had nearly missed it..
Located on the first floor, there is awesome artwork on the walls near the toilet. Beautiful and rich.
The artwork continues after the entrance with gorgeous wall paintings and decorations all around. Quite some money spent on decorating the toilet… Incredible ambience, sometimes felt overdone. The Meguro Gajoen has cost 850 million dollars to build, no wonder they spent lavishly on the toilet too..
The details, Ladies and Gentleman signs too are quite artistically done. The long haired woman painted on the “Ladies” sign, beautiful. Could not go near it since it was on the Ladies section, got my daughter to take a quick snap of the same. A traditional costume wearing “gentleman” too…Just look at the red bridge, roofed rooms for toilets with artistic red colors on doors. From no angle does it look like a toilet…
until you see the below image…
Just observe the decorative ceiling as you stand to relieve. It is truly outstandingEven the windows of the rest rooms have elegant designs of the windows as seen below. White paper window with white illumination in the backdrop complete the “Japanese” feeling for the room.
Unique rooms… We had been to the Meguro Gajoen for Ikebana exhibition held annually. Not only the exhibition rooms, but also the elevators and right upto the toilets and this basin, the experience of lavishness is all around. This is one rest room you should visit even if you do not feel like using a toilet. RECOMMENDED.