Assessing Environmental Health and Hygiene: A Study of Pub-lic Restroom conditions at the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics
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Abstract
Background: We explored the perceptions, value, and social visibility of public toilets by comparing the implementation of public restrooms at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics. We specifically examined how sociocultural factors influenced restroom policies and development.
Methods: We conducted a survey of the history of public toilets as a form of public hygiene management in Japan and France during the Olympics. The analyses compare Paris’s eco-friendly and Tokyo’s culture-oriented approaches.
Results: The 2020 Tokyo Olympics demonstrated how public restrooms can promote cleanliness and hygiene. However, the 2024 Paris Olympics adopted a practical, eco-friendly approach in response to the climate crisis. Thus, the public restrooms in both cities provided novel examples of public health policies, integrating scientific and cultural perspectives.
Conclusion: Although Tokyo successfully implemented its sanitation culture in its public restrooms, challenges related to sustainability remained. In Paris, the perceptions of public restrooms have not yet been fully addressed. Nevertheless, the innovative approaches of both cities are expected to yield constructive outcomes for the 2028 Games, demonstrating the future value of such policies.
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8. Pourpakdelfekr T, Oboudi B (2022). Over-view of sustainable solutions to improve the environmental impacts of mega sporting events. Athens J Sport, 9(4), 1-16.
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13. Han B., & Choi S (2014). 2014 modulariza-tion of Korea’s development experience: Korean public toilet improvement expe-rience and its implications. Sejong, South Korea: Ministry of Strategy and Finance. Available from: https://www.kdevelopedia.org/Resources/view/04201507290139221.do
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16. Kreitman P (2018). Paul Kreitman Attacked by Excrement Environmental History April 2018. Environ History, 23(2), 342–366.
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18. Minier P, Tassin B, Esculier F (2024). Be-hind the contamination of the waters of the Seine, a global problem of faecal matter management. Energy. [In French]. https://ingenius.ecoledesponts.fr/articles/derriere-la-contamination-des-eaux-de-la-seine-un-probleme-global-de-gestion-des-matieres-fecales/
19. Nbc Bay Area (2024). Why triathlete Tyler Mislawchuk threw up 10 times after swimming in Seine Olympics. https://www.nbcbayarea.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/why-triathlete-tyler-mislawchuk-threw-up-10-times-after-swim-in-seine/3612864/
20. Parisian Fields (2016). Vespasiennes: Does a Roman Emperor Deserve This? [In French]. Available from: https://parisianfields.com/2016/01/31/vespasiennes-does-a-roman-emperor-deserve-this-2/
21. Chatzis K (2014). Alimenter en eau et as-sainir les immeubles parisiens, 1850-1930: la généralisation du « système Belgrand » Flux, N° 97-98(3), 30-36. [In French]. https://doi.org/10.3917/flux.097.0030
22. Minier P, Tassin B, Esculier F (2024). Be-hind the Contamination of the Seine Waters, a Global Issue of Fecal Matter Management. https://theconversation.com/derriere-la-contamination-des-eaux-de-la-seine-un-probleme-global-de-gestion-des-matieres-fecales-235270 [Accessed Janu-ary 15, 2025].
23. Lescurieux R (2020). Paris: Where are you most likely to find public toilets in the capital? (November 11, 2020). [In French]. Available from: https://parisjetaime.com/eng/article/public-toilets-a696
24. Morishita, S (2021). What is Omotenashi? A comparative analysis with service and hospitality in the Japanese lodging in-dustry. Journal of Advanced Management Sci-ence, 9(4), 88-95.
25. Miyai H, Nishio C (2016). An Analysis of Key Factors of the “Omotenashi Consumption”. In Serviceology for Smart Service System: Selected papers of the 3rd International Conference of Serviceology (p. 213). Springer.
26. Szczygiel M (2015). Can Research on Toi-lets Assure an Academic Position? Do-ing Social Sciences in Japan. European Research[des’] Day. https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/sites/default/files/erd_proceedings_2015.pdf
27. Tokyo Metropolitan Government (2020). 2019 International Traveler Behavioral Characteristics Survey Results by Coun-try/Region. [In Japanese]. https://www.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/tosei/hodohappyo/press/2020/06/25/08.html
28. Ouest France (2024). 2024 Olympic Games. Toilets installed on the banks of the Seine for the opening ceremony. [In French] Available from: https://www.ouest-france.fr/jeux-olympiques/jo-2024-des-toilettes-installees-en-bord-de-seine-pour-la-ceremonie-douverture-457a9406-f28b-11ee-bc38-55f66082c1a5
29. Harder R, Wielemaker R, Larsen TA, Zee-man G, Öberg G (2019). Recycling nu-trients contained in human excreta to agriculture: Pathways, processes, and products. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, 49(8), 695-743.
30. Chelsea Wald C (2022). The urine revolu-tion: How recycling pee could help to save the world. Nature News Feature. Available from: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00338-6
31. Vinci A (2023). At motorway service areas, urine is processed to make fertilizer. [In French]. Available from: https://www.vinci-autoroutes.com/fr/actualites/services-et-aires/urine-engrais-autoroute/
32. Krause A, Häfner F, Augustin F, Udert KM (2021). Qualitative risk analysis for con-tents of dry toilets used to produce nov-el recycling fertilizers. Qualitative risk analysis for contents of dry toilets used to produce novel recycling fertilizers, 1(3): 1107-1146.
33. Ji-hye Song (2024). Urgent “business” here? French also “shocked” by portable toi-lets at the Paris Olympics. JTBC (July 26, 2024). https://v.daum.net/v/20240726172940014 [accessed February 4, 2025].
34. Hashino Yukinori (2023). The Tokyo Toilet Project Makes a Splash in Shibuya and Cannes. [In Japanese]. Available from: https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/g02303/
35. Yamauchi T, Nakao S, Harada H (2022). The Sanitation Triangle: Socio-Culture, Health and Materials (p.264). Springer Nature.
36. Par Margaux Menu (2023). Capital. 2024 Olympic Games: more than 40% of public toilets in Paris will be replaced. [In French] Available from: https://www.capital.fr/economie-politique/jo-2024-plus-de-40-des-toilettes-publiques-de-paris-vont-etre-remplacees-1483331
2. Huffpost Japan Editorial Team (2019). Pub-lic Toilets: “Women Need Three Times More than Men” – Experts Sound the Alarm on Issues Ahead of the Tokyo Olympics (May 28, 2019). [In Japanese]. Available from: https://www.huffingtonpost.jp/entry/story_jp_5ceb8541e4b00356fc247e5d
3. Swayne MRE, Calzo JP, Felner JK, Welsh Carroll M (2023). Developing evidence for building sanitation justice: A multi methods approach to understanding public restroom quantity, quality, acces-sibility, and user experiences. PLoS One 18(7): e0288525.
4. Nava B (2023). Hygiene Is A Human Right: Access To Hygiene Facilities In Unshel-tered Individuals And Its Effects On Health. W.A. Franke Honors College. The University of Arizona.
5. United Nations. World Toilet Day 19 No-vember. Toilets: A place for peace. Available from: https://www.un.org/en/observances/toilet-day
6. Memish ZA, Steffen R, White P, et al (2019). Mass gatherings medicine: public health issues arising from mass gathering reli-gious and sporting events. The Lancet, 393(10185), 2073-2084.
7. McCloskey B, Endericks T, Catchpole M, et al (2014). London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games: public health sur-veillance and epidemiology. The Lancet, 383(9934), 2083-2089.
8. Pourpakdelfekr T, Oboudi B (2022). Over-view of sustainable solutions to improve the environmental impacts of mega sporting events. Athens J Sport, 9(4), 1-16.
9. Jin D, Ljungqvist A, Troedsson H (Eds.) (2010). The health legacy of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games: Successes and recommendations. World Health Or-ganization, Western Pacific Region. https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/207690/9789290614593_eng.pdf
10. McCloskey B, Endericks T, Catchpole M, et al (2014). London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games: Public health sur-veillance and epidemiology. The Lancet, 383(9934), 2083-2089.
11. Grosset-Janin A, Nicolas X, Saraux A (2012). Sport and infectious risk: a systematic review of the literature over 20 years. Médecine et Maladies Infectieuses, 42(11): 533-544.
12. Yanagisawa N, Wada K, Spengler JD, Sanchez-Pina R (2018). Health prepar-edness plan for dengue detection during the 2020 Summer Olympic and Para-lympic Games in Tokyo. PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 12(9), e0006755.
13. Han B., & Choi S (2014). 2014 modulariza-tion of Korea’s development experience: Korean public toilet improvement expe-rience and its implications. Sejong, South Korea: Ministry of Strategy and Finance. Available from: https://www.kdevelopedia.org/Resources/view/04201507290139221.do
14. Sano S (2020). The Story of the Olympics and Paralympics: Tokyo Was a ‘Smelly City’. (November 30, 2020). Nippon Foundation Journal. [In Japanese]. https://www.nippon-foundation.or.jp/journal/2020/51449
15. World Toilet Day 2021. On November 19th, priority to toilets! [In French]. Available from: https://www.pseau.org/outils/ouvrages/coali-tion_eau_journee_mondiales_des_toilettes_2021_le_19_novembre_priorite_aux_toilettes_2021.pdf
16. Kreitman P (2018). Paul Kreitman Attacked by Excrement Environmental History April 2018. Environ History, 23(2), 342–366.
17. Junko Kobayashi (2014). A Study on the Evaluation and Implementation Strate-gies for Public Toilet Improvement Ef-forts - A Continuous Survey on Long-term Improvement Activities, Design, Maintenance, and Evaluation [In Japa-nese].
18. Minier P, Tassin B, Esculier F (2024). Be-hind the contamination of the waters of the Seine, a global problem of faecal matter management. Energy. [In French]. https://ingenius.ecoledesponts.fr/articles/derriere-la-contamination-des-eaux-de-la-seine-un-probleme-global-de-gestion-des-matieres-fecales/
19. Nbc Bay Area (2024). Why triathlete Tyler Mislawchuk threw up 10 times after swimming in Seine Olympics. https://www.nbcbayarea.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/why-triathlete-tyler-mislawchuk-threw-up-10-times-after-swim-in-seine/3612864/
20. Parisian Fields (2016). Vespasiennes: Does a Roman Emperor Deserve This? [In French]. Available from: https://parisianfields.com/2016/01/31/vespasiennes-does-a-roman-emperor-deserve-this-2/
21. Chatzis K (2014). Alimenter en eau et as-sainir les immeubles parisiens, 1850-1930: la généralisation du « système Belgrand » Flux, N° 97-98(3), 30-36. [In French]. https://doi.org/10.3917/flux.097.0030
22. Minier P, Tassin B, Esculier F (2024). Be-hind the Contamination of the Seine Waters, a Global Issue of Fecal Matter Management. https://theconversation.com/derriere-la-contamination-des-eaux-de-la-seine-un-probleme-global-de-gestion-des-matieres-fecales-235270 [Accessed Janu-ary 15, 2025].
23. Lescurieux R (2020). Paris: Where are you most likely to find public toilets in the capital? (November 11, 2020). [In French]. Available from: https://parisjetaime.com/eng/article/public-toilets-a696
24. Morishita, S (2021). What is Omotenashi? A comparative analysis with service and hospitality in the Japanese lodging in-dustry. Journal of Advanced Management Sci-ence, 9(4), 88-95.
25. Miyai H, Nishio C (2016). An Analysis of Key Factors of the “Omotenashi Consumption”. In Serviceology for Smart Service System: Selected papers of the 3rd International Conference of Serviceology (p. 213). Springer.
26. Szczygiel M (2015). Can Research on Toi-lets Assure an Academic Position? Do-ing Social Sciences in Japan. European Research[des’] Day. https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/sites/default/files/erd_proceedings_2015.pdf
27. Tokyo Metropolitan Government (2020). 2019 International Traveler Behavioral Characteristics Survey Results by Coun-try/Region. [In Japanese]. https://www.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/tosei/hodohappyo/press/2020/06/25/08.html
28. Ouest France (2024). 2024 Olympic Games. Toilets installed on the banks of the Seine for the opening ceremony. [In French] Available from: https://www.ouest-france.fr/jeux-olympiques/jo-2024-des-toilettes-installees-en-bord-de-seine-pour-la-ceremonie-douverture-457a9406-f28b-11ee-bc38-55f66082c1a5
29. Harder R, Wielemaker R, Larsen TA, Zee-man G, Öberg G (2019). Recycling nu-trients contained in human excreta to agriculture: Pathways, processes, and products. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, 49(8), 695-743.
30. Chelsea Wald C (2022). The urine revolu-tion: How recycling pee could help to save the world. Nature News Feature. Available from: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00338-6
31. Vinci A (2023). At motorway service areas, urine is processed to make fertilizer. [In French]. Available from: https://www.vinci-autoroutes.com/fr/actualites/services-et-aires/urine-engrais-autoroute/
32. Krause A, Häfner F, Augustin F, Udert KM (2021). Qualitative risk analysis for con-tents of dry toilets used to produce nov-el recycling fertilizers. Qualitative risk analysis for contents of dry toilets used to produce novel recycling fertilizers, 1(3): 1107-1146.
33. Ji-hye Song (2024). Urgent “business” here? French also “shocked” by portable toi-lets at the Paris Olympics. JTBC (July 26, 2024). https://v.daum.net/v/20240726172940014 [accessed February 4, 2025].
34. Hashino Yukinori (2023). The Tokyo Toilet Project Makes a Splash in Shibuya and Cannes. [In Japanese]. Available from: https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/g02303/
35. Yamauchi T, Nakao S, Harada H (2022). The Sanitation Triangle: Socio-Culture, Health and Materials (p.264). Springer Nature.
36. Par Margaux Menu (2023). Capital. 2024 Olympic Games: more than 40% of public toilets in Paris will be replaced. [In French] Available from: https://www.capital.fr/economie-politique/jo-2024-plus-de-40-des-toilettes-publiques-de-paris-vont-etre-remplacees-1483331
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 54 No 4 (2025) | |
| Section | Original Article(s) | |
| Keywords | ||
| Environmental health Urban public hygiene Toilet sanitation Olympics France Japan | ||
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How to Cite
1.
Kim K- lee, Cho E- ra. Assessing Environmental Health and Hygiene: A Study of Pub-lic Restroom conditions at the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics. Iran J Public Health. 2025;54(4):801-809.
