The Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai construction site is seen in the city of Osaka in this Feb. 12, 2025, file photo. (Mainichi)
TOKYO — A plea from a construction site worker to the Osaka Prefectural Government for women’s restrooms to be installed at the site of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, which is set to open on April 13, was posted on the public body’s website. But whether it has reached anyone able to act remains unclear.
11 hours without a washroom break
The prefecture regularly publishes opinions and requests it receives from residents, considering them valuable suggestions. Those deemed in need of a response are forwarded to the relevant departments, and the responses are shared on their website as updated.
A comment attributed to a “woman working inside (an Expo) pavilion” was submitted on Dec. 6, 2024, and posted on the website Jan. 31 this year. The comment included, “There are only men’s restrooms on site, with no facilities for women,” “I can only use the restroom at 7 a.m. when I arrive at the train station, and around 6 p.m. after work when I return,” and, “The worksite is extremely cold, and I run the risk of bladder rupture while on the job.”
It concluded with a plea: “Is this the state of workplaces in the Reiwa era?” referring to Japan’s current Imperial era which began in 2019. “Please install women’s restrooms as soon as possible. This is my earnest request.”
Voices not conveyed
In February, the Mainichi Shimbun inquired about the prefecture’s response to this request. An official at the Expo promotion bureau stated that the prefecture is not the contracting entity for the construction of the pavilions, and advised contacting the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, which is preparing and managing the event.
The urgent request about women’s washrooms that was sent to Osaka Prefecture is seen posted on its website.
When reached by the Mainichi, the Expo association responded that women’s restrooms are available at the construction site. They checked with the general contractors overseeing the four work zones at the venue, noting that blueprints included women’s temporary restrooms. However, they did not have information on the locations or quantity, as these were the contractors’ responsibilities.
The prefecture has not formally communicated the concerns to the Expo association. However, since prefectural staff have been seconded to the association, a prefectural source said that the requests have likely not gone unheard.
The association says it learned of the “desperate plea” through the Mainichi Shimbun’s interview. A spokesperson remarked, “It likely depends on where exactly the woman was working at the venue.”
Construction site realities
“The construction site workers are predominantly male, and restroom issues for female workers are a persistent concern,” said Yukie Ishikawa, head of the Woman Building and Construction Industry Society, an association which supports female builders.
While major construction companies have started providing separate restrooms for men and women on their sites, subcontractor-led sites often have only one shared restroom or just men’s facilities. Many restrooms also have hygiene issues.
(Mainichi)
“Female workers immediately search for convenience stores on map apps once their worksite is assigned. They feel guilty using a restroom without making a purchase, often buying a can of coffee, which significantly increases expenses in the winter,” Ishikawa explained.
According to Ishikawa’s colleagues, each pavilion may have at most one shared restroom for both genders at the Expo construction site.
With women’s restrooms being a 15-minute walk away, some workers lament that their break times are cut short, leaving them physically exhausted.
Ishikawa advocates for improved provision of women’s restrooms, noting that it would also make it easier for men to access facilities, and for enhancing overall sanitary conditions.
(Japanese original by Atsuko Ota, Digital News Group)
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