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Posted: 2018-04-02 03:58:20

(CNN) — Most of us don't visit public bathrooms unless we really need to. Not Hidefumi Nakamura.

This Japanese photographer travels the length and breadth of Japan to find the country's quirkiest public toilets -- and snaps them for his increasingly popular Instagram account, @toilets_a_go_go.

From turreted, castle-style structures to modernist facades to tiled buildings surrounded by cherry blossom, Nakamura's photographs are eye-catching shots of these idiosyncratic bathrooms.

"I was interested in Japan because there are various designed toilets," Nakamura tells CNN Travel.

Quirky designs

Toilet 10 - Nagasaki Peace Park edit

Nakamura found this public bathroom in Nagasaki Peace Park.

Courtesy toilets_a_go_go/Hidefumi Nakamura

Nakamura started documenting zany bathrooms when he established his Instagram account in January 2017: "I wanted the theme when I started Instagram," he explains.

Before actively seeking out these unusual WCs, Nakamura had always found Japanese toilets a bit strange: "In the past I thought that the design was not good," he says.

But once he started photographing them, he found their individual quirks increasingly interesting -- and so his account was born.

Toilet 25 - Suginami-ku, Tokyo, Japan edit

This castle-like bathroom was spotted by Nakamura in Suginami.

Courtesy toilets_a_go_go/Hidefumi Nakamura

He says he's not sure why Japan has such diverse designs: "Perhaps because the architects can do it freely," he ponders.

Nakamura's photographs capture the unique architecture of each bathroom and give a flavor of each location. In his captions, he adds extra detail about the bathroom's surroundings and distinctive features.

One toilet block in Itabashi, Tokyo, Nakamura notes, is memorable because of its Namako wall, a Japanese wall design demarcated by its tiled design.

Toilet 24- Suginami-ku, Tokyo, Japan edit

This emerald-roofed bathroom in Suginami captured Nakamura's attention.

Courtesy toilets_a_go_go/Hidefumi Nakamura

There are also some eye-catching, fairy-tale-themed bathrooms in Japan's parks, from a castle-themed design in Suginami to a block that resembles a tree trunk in Bunkyō, Tokyo.

In Tokyo's Mizutanibashi Park lies a grand public bathroom that looks more like a town hall than a WC, while at Oku Station in Tokyo the bathrooms are concealed by alphabet letters spelling out the station name.

Stand-outs

Toilet 28 - street crner edit

Nakamura names this bathroom as his favorite.

Courtesy toilets_a_go_go/Hidefumi Nakamura

There's a plethora of wacky designs to choose from, but Nakamura's favorite is more subtle.

He picks out a block on a street corner, describing it as "old, but it is a beautiful toilet!"

Toilet 8 - Oku Station edit

At Oku station in Tokyo, Nakamura shot this distinctive alphabet-inspired toilet.

Courtesy toilets_a_go_go/Hidefumi Nakamura

Toilet 27 - Mizutanibashi Park edit

This grandiose public bathroom is in Mizutanibashi Park, Tokyo.

Courtesy toilets_a_go_go/Hidefumi Nakamura

Despite international interest, Nakamura says he's not interested in photographing toilets across the globe -- he'll stick to Japan for now.

"I love the diversity of Japanese toilets!" he says.

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