Japan’s oldest toilet accidentally damaged by reversing driver Published duration 26 January 2017
image caption The toilet sits in the back of a van and has been damaged by the reversing driver
An aged toilet was damaged in Japan after a driver reversed into it with his foot.
The toilet was parked on the back of a van in an apartment building in the town of Kameyama, on the northwestern island of Hokkaido.
The driver stopped to reverse his van so that the passenger could get out.
When he returned to his vehicle, he noticed that the toilet had damaged.
The toilet is on a corner of the small car park and has a toilet seat that can only be accessed from the driver’s side.
The van driver, 47, was not injured, and there is an ongoing investigation.
The toilet seat is about six inches off the ground and has a gap of just one centimetre.
A building inspector said the toilet seat was probably damaged after the car reversed into it.
The toilet seat and its contents have been taken out for safety checks, but no one has been charged
media caption Video shows the damage caused by the reversing driver
Mr Kaoru Noda, a police spokesman for Hokkaido prefecture, said the incident was an “unpleasant surprise” for residents.
“The toilet had been placed there to make it easier for people going down to the toilet to get to the toilet easily,” he told reporters.
‘Stunning’ incident
One of the toilets had been in the property for three years, until a company bought the building.
“It doesn’t look like they took good care of the place,” Mr Noda said.
“Many people come here to take a walk and drink some beer and there are also customers who take the toilet out.”
The toilet seat is made of cast iron with a steel rim, and is about six inches off the ground.
