When you really think about it, anything can be a public toilet.

That being said, it never hurts to have four walls in order to keep a shred of self-dignity. Our public toilets are pretty much just that – four walls, usually with paint peeling and the whiff of wee hanging heavy in the air.

Over in Japan, though, public toilets are something of a fine art. Hidefumi Nakamura certainly thinks so, because he travels the length and breadth of the country snapping pictures for his Instagram account, toilets_a_go_go.

He spoke to CNN about his odd potty obsession:

“I was interested in Japan because there are various designed toilets,” Nakamura tells CNN Travel.

Nakamura started documenting zany bathrooms when he established his Instagram account in January 2017: “I wanted the theme when I started Instagram,” he explains.

Before actively seeking out these unusual WCs, Nakamura had always found Japanese toilets a bit strange: “In the past I thought that the design was not good,” he says.

But once he started photographing them, he found their individual quirks increasingly interesting — and so his account was born.

He says he’s not sure why Japan has such diverse designs: “Perhaps because the architects can do it freely,” he ponders.

If you’re reading this on your phone whilst sat on the toilet at home (or work, it helps pass the time), I want you to know we value you as a person.

OK, let’s look at some weird toilets:

OKU?

Okay, you?

I’ll be honest, all I really want out of a visit to the toilet is to be left alone. If these designs can guarantee me that, then they have my blessing.

If any other toilet aficionados are keen to met up with Nakamura, they’ll have to do the travelling themselves:

Despite international interest, Nakamura says he’s not interested in photographing toilets across the globe — he’ll stick to Japan for now.

“I love the diversity of Japanese toilets!” he says.

You’ll always be our number one, pal.

Want more toilet goodness? How about a Lonely Planet book titled “Toilets: A Spotter’s Guide“? The mind boggles.

[source:cnn]