Wim Wenders’ 2023 film Perfect Days did something kinda weird. It made people obsessed with a toilet cleaner. Not just the act of cleaning, but the specific, meditative, almost spiritual way the protagonist, Hirayama, scrubs the public restrooms of Tokyo’s Shibuya ward. If you’ve seen it, you know. The movie isn’t some gritty drama about the working class; it’s a poetic look at a man who finds genuine dignity in the details of his labor. But what most viewers don't realize is that Hirayama isn't just a fictional character—he represents a very real, very high-standard profession in Japan.
The Japanese movie toilet cleaner role played by Kōji Yakusho has sparked a massive wave of curiosity about The Tokyo Toilet project. This isn't just some movie set. These are real, high-tech, architecturally stunning bathrooms designed by some of the most famous architects in the world, including Tadao Ando and Kengo Kuma. Honestly, the film acts as a two-hour long meditation on the "art of the scrub." It's about more than just hygiene. It’s about a cultural philosophy where the state of a public toilet reflects the soul of the community.
Why the World is Obsessed with the Japanese Movie Toilet Cleaner
Let’s be real. In most Western cities, public toilets are a last resort. You go in, you hold your breath, you touch as little as possible, and you get out. Perfect Days flips that script. Hirayama, our Japanese movie toilet cleaner, treats each stall like a temple. He uses a small mirror to check the undersides of the rims. He carries a specialized kit of brushes and detergents. He looks for spots no one would ever notice.
Why does this resonate?
Because we live in a world of "hustle culture" and digital noise. Seeing a man find peace in the repetitive, manual task of cleaning a toilet feels radical. It's the "monastic" life in the middle of a neon metropolis. Kōji Yakusho won Best Actor at Cannes for this role, and he barely speaks. His performance is all in the hands—the way he squeezes a sponge, the way he sighs when he sees a job well done.
The movie was actually commissioned as a promotional project for The Tokyo Toilet. Originally, the organizers just wanted some short films to showcase the new facilities built for the Tokyo Olympics. Instead, Wenders gave them a masterpiece. He saw that the beauty wasn't just in the architecture of the toilets, but in the maintenance of them. Maintenance is an invisible art. When it's done well, you don't notice it. When it's ignored, society starts to crumble a little bit.
The Reality of The Tokyo Toilet Project
If you fly into Tokyo today, you can actually go on a tour of these locations. It’s become a weirdly popular "set jetting" destination. The Japanese movie toilet cleaner's route takes him through seventeen different locations in Shibuya.
One of the most famous ones is the "Transparent Toilet" in Yoyogi Fukamachi Mini Park. It uses smart glass technology. When the door is unlocked, the glass is clear so you can see how clean it is inside. Once you step in and lock the door, the glass becomes opaque. It’s genius, but as the movie shows, it’s also a nightmare to keep clean because every fingerprint shows up on that glass.
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Behind the Scenes of the Maintenance
- The Schedule: Real-life Hirayamas work in shifts managed by the Nippon Foundation.
- The Uniforms: Those blue jumpsuits were designed by Nigo, the founder of A Bathing Ape (BAPE) and the current artistic director of Kenzo. Yes, the toilet cleaners in this project wear high-fashion workwear.
- The Tools: They don't just use a generic brush. They have different grades of scouring pads, specialized pH-balanced cleaners for different stone surfaces, and mirrors to inspect hidden crevices.
Cleaning as a Spiritual Practice (Soji)
To understand the Japanese movie toilet cleaner, you have to understand the concept of Soji. In Zen Buddhism, cleaning isn't a chore; it’s a way to clear the mind. Monks start their day by sweeping. It’s about being present.
Hirayama isn't "stuck" in his job. He chooses it. He listens to cassette tapes of Lou Reed and Patti Smith in his van. He takes photos of trees (komorebi). He goes to the public bath. His life is small, but it is deep. There's a scene where he helps a lost child find their mother, cleans the child's hand, and then goes right back to scrubbing. No ego. No resentment.
This is the "Omotenashi" spirit—Japanese hospitality. It’s the idea of looking after a guest (even a public guest) without expecting anything in return. The toilet is the ultimate test of this. It’s the most private, vulnerable place a person goes in public. By keeping it pristine, the cleaner is essentially saying, "I care about your dignity."
The Architect-Designed Restrooms Featured in the Film
You can't talk about the film without the buildings. These aren't your typical concrete blocks.
- The "Squid" Toilet: Designed by Fumihiko Maki in Ebisu East Park. It’s white, curved, and looks like a piece of modern art.
- The Wooden Wonder: Kengo Kuma’s design in Nabeshima Shoto Park. It’s a "Walk in the Woods" theme using cedar batten. It looks like a series of huts.
- The Red Beauty: Nao Tamura’s Origami-inspired design near the Ebisu station. It’s bright red and sharp, standing out against the urban gray.
Each of these presents a different cleaning challenge. Wood needs different care than metal. Glass needs different care than stone. The Japanese movie toilet cleaner has to be a technician, an architect of cleanliness.
Why People Think it's "Too Good to be True"
Critics sometimes argue that Perfect Days romanticizes poverty or menial labor. They say, "Sure, it looks great on film, but who actually wants to scrub toilets for a living?"
That’s a fair point. But it misses the cultural nuance. Japan has a history of respecting craft (shokunin). Whether you are making a sushi roll, a katana, or cleaning a floor, you do it with the absolute best of your ability. The film acknowledges the hardship—Hirayama's sister shows up in a Lexus and is shocked by his lifestyle. He has a strained relationship with his past. He isn't rich. But the movie asks us: Who is actually happier? The man in the Lexus or the man who is truly present while he scrubs a sink?
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The reality of the job is tough. It’s physical. It’s repetitive. But the film suggests that the "soul-crushing" part of work isn't the work itself, but the lack of meaning we attach to it.
Actionable Takeaways from the Hirayama Method
You don't have to move to Shibuya and join the Tokyo Toilet maintenance crew to learn something from the Japanese movie toilet cleaner.
1. The Mirror Test
Next time you clean your own bathroom, get a small handheld mirror. Check the parts of the toilet or the faucet you can’t see directly. It’s a game-changer for hygiene, but more importantly, it changes your mindset from "getting it done" to "mastering the task."
2. Ritualize Your Routine
Hirayama has a specific order for everything. He wakes up, mist-sprays his plants, buys a coffee from a vending machine, and starts his van. By creating a ritual around your most boring tasks, you reduce the mental friction of doing them.
3. Appreciate "Komorebi"
Komorebi is the Japanese word for sunlight filtering through the leaves of trees. The film uses this as a motif. Even in the middle of a workday, Hirayama stops to look up. Take "micro-breaks." Look at the light. It sounds cheesy, but it prevents burnout.
4. Invest in Good Tools
The Japanese movie toilet cleaner doesn't use broken equipment. His tools are organized. If you hate a chore, it’s often because your tools suck. Get a vacuum that actually works or a sponge that feels good in your hand.
The Legacy of the Film
Since the movie came out, the Shibuya City Tourism Association has officially launched "The Tokyo Toilet Shuttle Tour." It’s a two-to-three-hour tour that takes you to these architectural gems. It’s weird, right? Going on a tour to look at toilets. But people are doing it because they want to feel that sense of peace they saw on screen.
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It’s also prompted a conversation about the "invisible workers" in our own cities. Who cleans your office? Who scrubs the mall bathrooms? We usually look away when we see them. Perfect Days forces us to look, and in looking, we see a human being with a rich, complex internal life.
The Japanese movie toilet cleaner isn't just a character. He's a reminder that beauty is available to anyone, regardless of their job title, as long as they are willing to pay attention.
To really dive into this world, the best thing you can do is go beyond the movie. Research the Nippon Foundation's work. Look up the architectural sketches for the Shibuya restrooms. And maybe, just maybe, next time you have to clean your own house, try to do it with a little more "Hirayama" in your step. No rush. Just the brush, the water, and the quiet satisfaction of a job done right.
Check out the official "The Tokyo Toilet" website to see photos of the actual locations from the film. You’ll be surprised at how much detail was carried over from the real-world maintenance protocols into the movie’s script. It’s one of those rare cases where reality is just as meticulously planned as the fiction.
Key Insights for Your Next Routine:
- Presence over speed: Efficiency is great, but being present reduces the stress of the "chore."
- Respect the space: Treat public or shared spaces with the same care you would a private sanctuary.
- Acknowledge the invisible: Take a moment to appreciate the maintenance work happening around you every day.
The film ends with a long, unedited shot of Hirayama’s face as he drives to work, listening to Nina Simone's "Feeling Good." He’s laughing and crying at the same time. It’s a messy, beautiful, human moment. That's the essence of the Japanese movie toilet cleaner—finding the "perfect" in a day that is otherwise perfectly ordinary.
Practical Steps:
- Watch the film: Perfect Days (2023) is available on major streaming platforms like Criterion Channel or Mubi.
- Visit virtually: Use Google Street View to find "The Tokyo Toilet" locations in Shibuya.
- Upgrade your cleaning kit: Buy specialized brushes for specific tasks to turn cleaning into a craft rather than a burden.