Only in Japan: A Mini Moon Bridge ...in Toilets!

In honor of Bridge Day, I have been thinking of some of my favorite and / or distinctive bridges in Japan. One of the first that came to mind, was the moon-bridge-style in the toilets of Meguro Gajoen, a historic hotel in Tokyo. 

Tucked inside its famously ornate restrooms is a tiny red arched bridge; moon‑bridge‑esque, lacquered, and theatrical. Framed between bamboo fencing and richly decorated walls. It’s the kind of detail that makes you pause mid‑visit and think, "Only in Japan" would a bathroom feel like a stroll through a miniature garden!

This little bridge isn’t a true taikobashi, of course. It is a decorative "soribashi" style. Gajoen is known for blending fantasy with tradition, and even its toilets lean into that philosophy. In a country where design is often treated as an experience, finding a moon‑bridge moment in a restroom feels strangely perfect and wonderfully Japanese!