Houzz Tour: Inside One of Tokyo’s Iconic Capsule Apartments
1970s experimental architecture meets modern tiny-house living in the Nakagin Capsule Tower
Mamiko Nakano
March 20, 2019
The Nakagin Capsule Tower, which stands out starkly against the glitzy Ginza shopping district in Tokyo, was designed by the late Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa. Even today, 47 years after its construction in 1972, there is a long line of people interested in renting one of the remaining habitable units in this iconic building. Attracted by its charm, 30-year-old designer Shintaro Tanaka moved here and created a minimalist yet functional space that bridges the urban ideals of 1970s Japan and modern tiny-house living.
Apartment at a Glance
Who lives here: Shintaro Tanaka
Location: Ginza district of Tokyo
Size: About 96 square feet (8.9 square meters)
Architect: Kisho Kurokawa Architect & Associates
Who lives here: Shintaro Tanaka
Location: Ginza district of Tokyo
Size: About 96 square feet (8.9 square meters)
Architect: Kisho Kurokawa Architect & Associates
Tanaka works as a graphic artist in the Ginza district. Looking to move closer to his work, he took up residence in one of these capsules two years ago.
“The view, the atmosphere, the narrowness, the impressive appearance … I like everything about it. I knew the building was here, but when I learned that I could actually live here, I fell in love with the capsule even more,” he says.
“The view, the atmosphere, the narrowness, the impressive appearance … I like everything about it. I knew the building was here, but when I learned that I could actually live here, I fell in love with the capsule even more,” he says.
The capsule had been renovated before, but clever thinking is always necessary when you’re living in a nearly 50-year-old, 96-square-foot room. Tanaka enjoyed the challenge, relying on multipurpose furniture and taking full advantage of his 3D printer.
Attached to the ceiling is a Sony LED bulb speaker, which combines lightbulb and speaker functionality. It can screw into any electrical outlet.
Find an interior designer on Houzz to help maximize a small space
Attached to the ceiling is a Sony LED bulb speaker, which combines lightbulb and speaker functionality. It can screw into any electrical outlet.
Find an interior designer on Houzz to help maximize a small space
Tanaka has no entry hall, and he uses the fridge just to the right of the door as extra storage. When he wants something perishable, he just goes to the convenience store on the ground floor.
His trusty green bike can fold, so it doesn’t take up much space. He uses it when he hunts for parts for his DIY and 3D-printed projects.
His trusty green bike can fold, so it doesn’t take up much space. He uses it when he hunts for parts for his DIY and 3D-printed projects.
Tanaka doesn’t understand the appeal of large homes. “It’s OK when there are a lot of people, but I live alone. I prefer it when everything is within reach, kind of like a secret fort from your childhood.”
The apartment is equipped with a unit bath, which is common in Japan. This pre-manufactured unit — usually consisting of a sink, toilet, bath and shower — is sealed against water seepage and has a drain in the middle of the floor. Since there is no hot water in Tanaka’s capsule, however, he mostly showers in the building’s shared facilities.
The apartment is equipped with a unit bath, which is common in Japan. This pre-manufactured unit — usually consisting of a sink, toilet, bath and shower — is sealed against water seepage and has a drain in the middle of the floor. Since there is no hot water in Tanaka’s capsule, however, he mostly showers in the building’s shared facilities.
Tanaka has a small bed, a folding chair and a desk with an integrated storage rack underneath.
Browse desks by size in the Houzz Shop
Browse desks by size in the Houzz Shop
The building consists of two towers, 11 and 13 stories high, and contains 140 capsules, only a fraction of which are inhabited. Tanaka’s capsule was used as an office by its owner, who then decided to refurbish it and rent it out.
Although the floor resembles wood at first glance, it’s actually Sangetsu vinyl floor tiles, which are water-resistant and durable.
Shop for wood-effect vinyl flooring
Although the floor resembles wood at first glance, it’s actually Sangetsu vinyl floor tiles, which are water-resistant and durable.
Shop for wood-effect vinyl flooring
This is Tanaka’s workspace. The closed storage and shelves are integrated into the desk. Some components, such as the garbage bin rack on the left, were made with the 3D printer that sits on top of the desk.
Tanaka bought this Tivoli Audio radio because “it looked like a capsule.” He made the shelf out of materials he bought at a hardware store. It and the clothing rod are supported by magnets “that can bear loads of up to [44 pounds],” he says.
Tanaka created this 3D-printed scale model of another capsule. Its layout, which he initially wanted, is a little different from the layout of the capsule he ultimately got. In addition to the model, he is making a video on the Nakagin Capsule Tower.
The capsule’s single round window offers a view of the highway and Hamarikyū Park, leaving no doubt that the tower is in the middle of Tokyo. At night, lights from the highway illuminate the surroundings, “making it appear as if you were in the Blade Runner universe,” Tanaka says.
In 2006, the Nakagin Capsule Tower was included on the Japanese Modern Architecture list by DoCoMoMo Japan. This acknowledges the building’s importance in architectural history but provides no legal protections.
The tower continues to draw both domestic and international attention as an example of Japan’s metabolism movement, whose architects strove to design cities that could grow, reproduce and transform in response to their environments.
The building, however, is falling into disrepair. Kurokawa intended for it to be updated continually, designing it so that individual capsules, which have a life span of 25 years, could be swapped out without disturbing the ones around them.
But this hasn’t happened because of the expense, and the building has problems with plumbing, ventilation, leaks and asbestos. For this reason, there have been calls to demolish it, and its future is uncertain.
The tower continues to draw both domestic and international attention as an example of Japan’s metabolism movement, whose architects strove to design cities that could grow, reproduce and transform in response to their environments.
The building, however, is falling into disrepair. Kurokawa intended for it to be updated continually, designing it so that individual capsules, which have a life span of 25 years, could be swapped out without disturbing the ones around them.
But this hasn’t happened because of the expense, and the building has problems with plumbing, ventilation, leaks and asbestos. For this reason, there have been calls to demolish it, and its future is uncertain.
A group of owners who want to preserve its historical value while waiting to replace their capsules have established the Nakagin Capsule Tower Preservation & Restoration Project. Through tours and monthly rental plans, the group is trying to increase people’s understanding of the historical and architectural value of the iconic tower — seen in the center of this photo — with a view to preserving and restoring it.
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i love it. would have preferred to live in a capsule vs a share house when i lived in japan, get my own bathroom even if it's tiny.
Interesting but not for me!