The japanese government is arranging contests to recognise the efforts of organisations and businesses promoting clean, safe and comfortable toilets. The initiative comes as the government seeks to make women's restrooms more attractive, with initiatives such as shortening waiting lines and making space for breastfeeding. Pleasant restrooms will improve the quality of daily life and encourage women's empowerment, government officials have said. "I hope that efforts to make the world's best restrooms in Japan will spread broadly", Haruko Arimura, minister in charge of women's empowerment, said. Japan is also seeking to boost the standard of its toilets nationwide ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.