To enhance the quality of Taiwan's public restrooms, the Ministry of Environment (MOENV) held the "Public Restroom Construction, Management, Culture Sharing and Panel Discussion" today, inviting experts from central ministries, local governments, academia, and relevant industries as well as the Friends of Daan Forest Park Foundation and Taiwan Toilet Association, both of which are concerned about public restrooms, to jointly discuss how to enhance public restroom user experience and cities' images through innovative designs, effective management, and cultural influence. The panel discussion focused on Japan's "The Tokyo Toilet" program, sharing experiences about the public restroom "omakase" culture, and through discussions among experts and academics, explored topics such as the installation of sit-on toilets, gender- elder-, and family-friendly designs, dry cleaning methods, and maintenance. By reaching consensuses, actions are inspired in the hopes that restroom environments can become safer, more comfortable, and more dignified. Over 130 people attended the event.

"The Tokyo Toilet" program was designed by 16 world-class architects or designers from Japan, transforming 17 public restrooms. The project focuses on the diversification of restroom functions to meet the needs of every user; it also emphasizes the aesthetics of design, social inclusiveness, and cleanliness maintenance. Through innovative design and community participation, the public has come to value the importance and cleanliness of public restrooms, enhancing the user experience and making them part of the city's culture and landscape, successfully changing the stereotype of public restrooms.

The event specifically explored key points that Taiwan can learn from. In terms of architecture, incorporating urban light and shadows and integrating local culture and art construct architectural aesthetics; in terms of facilities, considerations include use by people with ostomies, the visually impaired, seniors, and children, as well as the needs of the elderly and children for changing clothes or diapers. Supporting measures should be installed as needed to enhance diverse and friendly services. In terms of maintenance and management, adopting dry cleaning methods keeps public toilets clean, and restroom diagnostics can identify sources of odor and filth, feeding back into design or improvements to optimize cleaning. Smart technologies are also employed to improve management efficiency.

The MOENV has already planned to promote the construction and renovation of public restrooms, advocating for the establishment of distinctive public restrooms. The "Guidelines for Supervision of Subsidized Public Restroom Construction and Renovation Projects by the Environmental Management Administration" will be revised to include accessibility designs, gender-friendly spaces, and facilities friendly to families and seniors, ensuring that all groups can use them with peace of mind. Meanwhile, the "Guidelines for Public Toilet Management and Maintenance" will be reviewed to consider the introduction of dry cleaning methods and public restroom diagnostics as standardized maintenance mechanisms.

The MOENV will develop a training system and encourage the enhancement of the professional image of cleaning staff to ensure the long-term maintenance of public restrooms in good condition. The Ministry emphasizes the inspiration and promotion of restroom culture and will formulate the "Restroom Culture Promotion Plan" to deeply instill a sense of empathy in the public for maintaining public restrooms. Furthermore, it aims to make toilet cleaners feel passion and pride through the message "How clean, thank you."

Through the discussions and experience sharing of this event, it is hoped that Taiwan's development of public restrooms can reach a new milestone, improve the overall urban environmental quality, and implement the national sustainable development goals: SDG 5 gender equality, SDG 6 clean water and sanitation, and SDG 11 sustainable cities and communities.