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Writer's pictureChristine Childress

Off-The-Beaten-Path in Tokyo: Nakagin Capsule Tower



Admire this rare remaining example of distinctive 1970s Japanese Metabolism architecture comprised of compact modular pods.


Why Go: A unique design experience and opportunity to view rare built examples of the Metabolist movement.


For Those Who: Appreciate striking architectural styles and feats of engineering, have an interest in Japanese design history, seek out design-focused experiences.


Built in 1972, the Nakagin Capsule Tower stands as a seminal work of architecture that embodied Japanese Metabolism ideals with modular prefabricated living units attached to a concrete core. The small, self-contained pods offered efficient, affordable urban housing.


Stroll by to gaze upward at the tower’s 140 stacked futuristic pods and appreciate the creative, low-cost urban housing solution. Ponder how its once groundbreaking but very analog design contrasts today's context. Though currently threatened, it endures as an architectural time capsule.


While unable to enter the privately owned capsules, admiring from outside allows witnessing an incredible example of this structural movement. An enduring modernist dream. It is worth visiting among Tokyo's cityscape before it potentially disappears.


What You Need to Know: The Nakagin Capsule Tower is located at 8-10-6 Ginza, Chuo City. The nearest metro stations are Shimbashi or Ginza.


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