Public toilets in Japan: the map, and where to look first

Questions people ask

Where are the public toilets in Japan?

Train stations (inside and often outside the ticket gates), convenience stores, department stores and malls, large parks, and tourist sites. Convenience-store toilets are free for anyone who asks; buying something is polite but not required. Station toilets inside the gates need a ticket or IC card to reach. This map holds 33,677 public toilets across Japan, 10,012 of them with the walking time from a station.

Are public toilets in Japan free?

Yes, essentially all of them: stations, parks, department stores, convenience stores and tourist sites charge nothing. The only cost is indirect: a toilet inside station ticket gates requires a ticket or IC card to enter the station. Paid toilets are so rare that finding one is a story.

Do Japanese public toilets have toilet paper and soap?

Toilet paper almost always; soap and hand dryers less reliably in older park toilets, which is why many residents carry a small towel and hand sanitiser. Station, store and newer park toilets have both, and most have a Western-style seat, often with a bidet. Many also have a sound button for privacy and a baby seat.

Is there a public toilet map or app for Japan?

This one. Open the map, tap the Toilet chip and the nearest toilets appear with walking time from the map centre, or use Find a toilet near me. No account, nothing installed, works on hotel wifi and in the browser, in eight languages. The same map shows checked trash cans, smoking areas and drinking water, because a public toilet almost always has a bin inside.