TOTO Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kitakyushu-shi, Fukuoka-ken; President: Noriaki Kiyota) has been recruiting for the 20th time this year for “Toilet Senryu,” which has been recruiting every year since 2005. “Toilet Senryu” recruits episodes and feelings related to toilets in senryu format, such as memories and events at the toilet while on the go, such as at home, work, or travel destinations. The topic of toilets is rarely discussed with people, but it started with the desire to make people feel more familiar with toilets through senryu, and the cumulative number of entries has exceeded 520,000.

There are many phrases that give a sense of the times. In the 2000s, phrases where you can feel the spread of mobile phones, such as “turn off the cell phone and maybe it's a blissful small room,” and phrases such as “decided here with a room search washlet” and “the lid is open and someone is watching” were composed, where the penetration of washlets and the evolution of toilet functions can be seen. In mid-2010, it was expressed that they are looking for comfort and quality in toilets on the go, as “the quality of a toilet at a travel destination is the quality of an inn.” You can feel through the phrase “look at toilets when you first come to Japan” that along with improvements in comfort and quality, it has become a Japanese toilet culture that can be proud of overseas. At the time of the earthquake and the COVID-19 pandemic, phrases such as “toilets that know water is life due to water outages” and “refraining from carefully cleaning toilets” were composed, and they once again made me realize the importance of everyday life as a matter of course.

On the other hand, since it is something you always use every day, there are many poems about everyday life and family life where toilets don't change. To commemorate the 20th recruitment, we created “Toilet Senryu 20th Anniversary 1 (One) Roll Theater,” an animation hand-drawn on toilet paper based on past phrases that have looked at various family scenes. Based on an episode composed in Toilet Senryu, it is a story based on family memories, and depicts the growth of a girl beginning with “The First Toilet Surrounding Her Child and Working Together.” I drew an animated illustration by hand drawing frame by frame on toilet paper and created it by time-lap-shooting it. The illustration for 1 roll of toilet paper (approx. 110 m) is equivalent to about 600 original sheets, and the total production time, including shooting, spanned 273 hours. It will be published on the TOTO website and social media from 2024/6/17 (Monday).

Also, at the TOTO Museum (Kitakyushu-shi, Fukuoka-ken), the “Toilet Senryu 20th Anniversary Exhibition” will be held from 2024/6/19 (Wednesday) to the end of 2025/3 (planned). In the exhibition, 1 (1) roll theater screenings, panels introducing the history of toilet senryu, and a collection of toilet senryu from the past will be exhibited.

The winning phrase is Toilet Day on November 10th as a toilet paper type senryu collection^※1It will be issued to. Wrapping paper is devised every year, such as a green hand-drawn design with an “eco” in mind (Part 4), one using a picture of a child drawing a “dream toilet” (Part 5), and a pattern of “Sugoroku” traveling to toilets around the world (Part 9).

*1: November 10 is “Toilet Day” established by the Japan Toilet Association in 1986 after being read as a “good toilet”

While phrases depicting everyday toilet life, such as family life and individual usage, have not changed, changes in people's attitudes can also be seen from phrases about toilets as special spaces and power saving. The phrase that captured a scene at work was no longer composed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and I was able to hear about changes in life.

*All expressions of senryu and pseudonym (pen name) are as stated by the applicant
*The copyright of the work belongs to TOTO Co., Ltd. Please refrain from reprinting and using without permission

“Toilet Senryu 20th Anniversary 1 (1) Roll Theater” is an animation depicting family life and bonds based on past phrases, and you can enjoy laughter, tears, and a little bit of emotion. With the cooperation of 14 students from Tokyo Polytechnic University, I created a time-lapse animation illustration drawn by hand, frame by frame on 1 roll of toilet paper with a total length of 110 meters. The total production time, including shooting, spanned 273 hours. I will tell you about my first experience of drawing an illustration on toilet paper and how the shooting was done with the utmost care so that toilet paper would not tear in the making-of video.

■Video time

1 (One) Roll Theater 3 minutes 40 seconds
Making-of video 4 min 42 sec　

■Distribution destination

TOTO website “toilet senryu”　
https://jp.toto.com/knowledge/useful/senryu/top/　(Published on 6/17 (Mon))

■Exhibition period
2024/6/19 (Wed) to the end of 25/3 (planned)

■Exhibition location
TOTO Museum Rest Lounge

■Exhibit content
Along with a collection of toilet senryu from the past, I will introduce our progress so far

■TOTO MUSEUM OVERVIEW
[Location] 2-1-1 Nakajima, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu-shi, Fukuoka (TOTO Head Office/Kokura First Plant site)
[Opening hours] 10:00-17:00 (admission until 16:30)
[Closed] Every Monday, summer vacation, year-end and New Year holidays
[WEBSITE]　　https://jp.toto.com/knowledge/visit/museum/

■How to apply
Please fill out the necessary information on the website or postcard and apply.

■schedules

[Application Period] 2024/6/17 (Mon) to 8/25 (Sun)
[Announcement of winners] 2024/10 schedule*It will be announced on the TOTO website
[Senryu Collection Publication] Scheduled for 2024/11/10 (Sun) (Toilet Day)

(Related release: Call for the 20th “Toilet Senryu” sent on 6/17　
URL:https://jp.toto.com/company/press/2024_06_17_01/)

• Also, please refrain from using or posting the TOTO website without permission.
• *The information posted here is current as of the date of publication.
• Please note that the information may differ from the date it was viewed.