Okutama is a popular hiking spot for visitors from Tokyo’s 23 wards. In this town the group OPT (Okutama Pika-Pika Toilet), carries out its unique mission. This game-changing group, founded in 2017 under the leadership of Tomoyuki Oi, is dedicated to transform the long-standing perception of public toilets as unsanitary and uninviting. Instead, Tomoyuki envisions spaces that are not only impeccably clean but also places where people can pause, refresh, and continue their journey with a renewed sense of comfort.
At its core, this initiative embodies the essence of omotenashi—the Japanese spirit of hospitality, where every detail reflects care and consideration. Through their dedicated efforts, Tomoyuki and his team have turned what was once merely a necessity into an experience of warmth and welcome, ensuring that even a simple restroom stop can leave visitors feeling at ease.
In 2023, Wim Wenders’ Perfect Days, a film that earned international acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival, brought Japan’s toilet cleaners into the forefront of the global spotlight. The film follows Hirayama, a quiet yet meticulous restroom cleaner, whose seemingly repetitive routines reveal subtle joys, changes, and inner growth. Through Hirayama’s perspective, viewers are invited to rethink these routines not as monotony, but rather, as a foundation for purpose and small moments of freedom and happiness.
While Tomoyuki’s work in Okutama contrasts with Hirayama’s calm and introspective days, it shares a common thread of care and attention to the smallest of details. For Tomoyuki, public restrooms are not merely “passing points,” but sanctuaries where travelers can refresh their minds and bodies. His dynamic approach—marked by laughter and collaboration—breathes life into spaces often overlooked, transforming them into symbols of community care and altruism.
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Tomoyuki Oi, leader of Okutama Pika-pika Toilet (OPT)
Tomoyuki heads the OPT team, a group of public restroom cleaning specialists in Okutama. Since 2017, he has been transforming once-neglected tourist restrooms with meticulous cleaning and fresh ideas, earning widespread recognition. As part of the cleaning division of Okutama Sougou Kaihatsu, Tomoyuki oversees the maintenance of over 20 public restrooms across the town. He firmly believes, “Where there’s cleanliness, there’s smiles and peace.”
About Okutama
Okutama is known as a hidden gem in the vicinity of Tokyo, which has a rich natural environment where traditional mountain village culture remains intact. Numerous traditional performing arts have been passed down through the generations, and there are many intangible folk cultural assets, such as the Kashima Odori dance, Shishimai (lion dance), and Kuruma Ningyo (puppet theater). Additionally, many people enjoy mountain climbing, camping, cycling, and fishing in the area.