Tokyo offers toilet tours amid flush of excitement over Wim Wenders’ Oscar hopeful

Shibuya district is offering tours of its architect-designed public facilities that feature in Perfect Days

Japan’s hi-tech toilets have long fascinated visitors who rave about their heated seats, bidet function, automatic flushing, even background noises to mask the unwelcome sounds that can accompany the call of nature.

Now, international interest in the country’s public conveniences is surging, thanks to the German director Wim Wenders, whose film Perfect Days – the story of Hirayama [Kōji Yakusho], a Tokyo toilet cleaner – is in the reckoning for best international feature at Sunday’s Academy Awards.