Prefecture In Japan Implements General Toilet Certification For Tourist Comfort

JAKARTA - Gunma Prefecture in eastern Japan implements a public toilet quality certification system aimed at increasing cleanliness and convincing visitors, a move that reaps praise and affects other regions of Japan.

The visitor toilet accreditation system in Gunma Prefecture began in 2003, with conditions in 259 toilets meeting the standard until the 2024 fiscal year.

Facilities are assessed based on cleanliness, security, ease of use, and other factors based on about 25 points, with certified toilets that have a mascot image of Gunmachan Prefecture.

Hisako Kobayashi, who cleans toilets at the Kannonyama Family Park in Takasaki which has seven accreditations, attributes their success to routine daily treatments.

"We are working hard to make sure visitors feel comfortable using it," Kobayashi said, quoted by Kyodo News September 8.

Individuals looking for accredited toilets can use maps available on the NPO Gunma website, the organization running the scheme.

phetamine Hasegawa of the organization, which is responsible for inspections, said there were several cases where people with disabilities determine their travel destinations based on accessibility to certified public toilets.

All toilets that get certification will undergo direct inspections and accreditation updates every two years.

The system has become a trend in various places in Japan, with Kochi Prefecture in western Japan implementing a version of the 2012 fiscal year and Nagano Prefecture in central Japan doing so since the 2014 fiscal year.

"Toilet is part of the spirit of hospitality," a Nagano official said of the scheme.

Kohei Yamamoto, chairman of the Japan Toilet Association, praised Gunma Prefecture's initiative as a "great and progressive approach with detailed criteria," adding he hoped this "could be a reference" for national toilet services.