So, everyone has been talking about the Shibuya Hikarie, the new shopping and entertainment complex that opened in Shibuya on April 26. The large building includes not only shopping facilities but offices, 2 floors of restaurants, event halls and even a theater as well. But did you know that the shopping facility in the building, called “ShinQs“, may be worth visiting for something other than the shops – their restrooms, to be exact?
The ShinQs shops, and there are many, are located on the B3 to 5th floors of the Hikarie building, and their ladies restrooms are seriously luxurious. In fact, they’re not even called restrooms – they’re called “switch rooms”. So, what exactly is a “switch room”?
According to the official Shibuya Hikarie directory guide, a switch room is is “a multi-purpose room that is much more than than the standard restroom“. Of course, you can check yourself in the mirror and touch up your make-up like in any regular restroom, but they are calling it a switch room because they want it to be a special space where you can switch your mood (e.g. from work mode to relaxing mode or vice versa) and feel refreshed.
And how are these switch rooms special? Well, the switch rooms on each floor of ShinQs are designed according to a specific and different concept.
To give some examples, the switch room on the B3 Floor is designed to have the look and feel of a French market; the B2 Floor switch room allows mothers to re-do their make-up or relax and access the internet while nursing their babies; the B1 Floor switch room shows on display new beauty products available in the cosmetics/beauty section of ShinQs; the switch room on the 3rd Floor has art work on display and includes an “air shower” booth; the 4th Floor switch room features a luxurious chandelier, and each individual toilet stall booth has a unique design; and the switch room on the 5th floor includes special powder rooms that are exclusively for members of Tokyu’s “TOP & ClubQ card”. All of this makes you want to spend a whole day just touring the restrooms! (Actually, you can go on a virtual tour of the switch rooms on the ShinQ’s website.)
All the switch rooms are spacious, with soft lighting that is easy on the eyes. It’s also very convenient that there’s WiFi access available in the switch rooms on all floors. There is also 3D surround music played in the switch rooms, creating a comfortable, enveloping atmosphere. So, it seems like the switch rooms really offer a complete, engrossing experience that hopefully let’s you forget reality for a short while.
In any case, we think it’s great that you can enjoy art or check out the latest cosmetic products while using the restroom. If you ever have the chance to use the switch rooms, we’re sure you’ll be impressed with these restrooms which are quite unlike any other – relaxing yet artistic, full of fun and functional at the same time. If the multitude of shops in the building is not enough, these switch rooms should give you one more reason to visit the Hikarie Shibuya!
Original Article and photo of 4th Floor individual stalls by Sonoko Ikeda
All other photos taken from official Hikarie source
Source: Shibuya Hikarie website (Japanese)
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