Perfect Days

[poliphilo]

 Splendid public toilets they have in Tokyo!

And reading up about the movie afterwards I find that the Nippon Foundation- which commissioned the toilets from a bunch of top architects- originally brought Wenders in to make what they thought would be a short documentary about them. However the project developed....

....And turned into a minimalist story film about a guy who cleans the toilets. While I watched it I was thinking "Ozu!" and it seems the makers were thinking "Ozu!" too. Lead actor Koji Yakusho is wonderful in what is almost a silent performance. His character Hirayama has a backstory that is hinted at but never disclosed. And why should we care about it anyway?  Once he was something else. Now he's a saint. 

"Is it a little sentimental?" I found myself wondering.

But that's my 20th century conditioning showing through.

Comments

[paserbyp]

Retirement about cleans the toilets?

[poliphilo]

No, the man isn't retired. He cleans toilets for a living.

[paserbyp]

Young man? So, his carrier step before retiring will be?

[poliphilo]

The actor playing the toilet cleaner was in his mid 60s at the time but (arguably) looks younger. I don't know whether retirees get a state pension in Japan but I suspect they do.....

Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

Global travelers generally agree that Japanese toilets are the most luxurious in the world.

The variety of toilets around the world is a surprisingly interesting topic to explore. So are other bathroom fixtures. In some places there is only a toilet, a sink, and maybe a bathtub or shower. Others routinely include a bidet or a urinal. Muslims may add a Wudumate, which is a special device that makes it easier to wash before prayers. And there's a "universal toilet" sometimes found in international airports that can be used sitting or squatting.

Re: Yes ...

[poliphilo]

Public toilets in Britain tend to be bloody awful.....

[paserbyp]

All his life cleans the toilets and got meager pension for just to die?

[poliphilo]

No. He was a wealthy man who went through some kind of crisis- which the movie doesn't describe- that resulted him dropping out and taking a menial job.

Re: Yes ...

[cmcmck]

And even then they are attempting to ban some of us from using them!

Re: Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

In America, a common problem is insufficient coverage -- partial doors, wide cracks, etc. 0_o