One of the Tokyo’s most iconic and architectural creations Nakagin Capsule Tower is also one of the city’s most divisive. Now over 40 years since it was originally built, the historical significance, structural stability and cultural importance of this retro-futuristic structure that under constant debate. Some argue the building is an unnecessary relic of an old Japan, and a creation that was never fully realized, however on the other side of the argument it could be said to be the only remaining relic ‘Metabolism,’ of one of the nation’s most revolutionary architectural movements, a movement that without a doubt influenced the future landscape of the city.
The Nakagin Capsule Tower Building Preservation and Rehabilitation Project believe the latter argument and are doing all they can to help continue the existence and pay respects to the legacy of this fascinating building. Through events, tours, and information sessions they hope to spread knowledge and appreciation for the building.
To learn more about its importance in the greater Tokyo landscape, we first have to take a quick look at the avant-garde architectural movement that spawned it.
Metabolism: What is it, and its history
Metabolism was born in a post World War II Japan, when the nation’s major cities were going through a shift of great cultural and economic evolution. As people flocked from the countryside to the cities to fill newly created job vacancies, with their arrival came a need for the city to adapt quickly. The concept of metabolism was conceived in the late 1950s and 1960s by a group of young architects who envisioned a city that would grow and evolve just like the citizens that inhabited it.
Some of the figures who spearheaded the movement included Kenzo Tange, Kiyonori Kikutake, Kisho Kurokawa, and Fumihiko Maki, names that would later in their careers go on to become the legends of contemporary Japanese architecture.
In the manifesto “METABOLISM/1960 – The Proposals for a New Urbanism” Kurokawa, outlined what the group outlined what they wanted to create: “[The] ideal is to design a city so flexible in its connections that its parts could grow, transform themselves and die while the whole animal [the city] went on living.”
Part human body, part Lego structure, the original metabolism designs would be equipped with removable parts, which like the cells of a human body could evolve or ‘die’ (be removed) in order to fit with the ebb and flow of the city’s landscapes and needs of its residents. From this movement came a number of unique structures including Yamanashi Press and Radio Center in Kofu, designed by Kenzo Tange, but none as iconic as Nakagin.
Looking like a pile of boxes teetering on the edge of collapse, Nakagin is comprised of over 100 prefabricated apartment ‘cells’ individually bolted onto large concrete shafts. Theoretically removable, these apartment cells were built to be small machines for living as opposed to homely hangouts, a fascinating snapshot of the ideological priorities of that time, a focus on function the number one priority. A movement that spawned ideologies much more than actual physical creations, Nakagin is one of the only pure metabolist structures that was created.
Current day
Standing proud, abet a little worse for wear, the tower today is stuck in a stalemate between those who want to knock it down and those who want to keep the legacy alive. In Japan there’s an unwritten but regularly followed rule that a building cannot be considered for protection until it is over 50 years of age. Given that it’s been only 46 years since it was built, it’s still under threat of being demolished.
Today, from the exterior the building does look tired, covered in netting and straining under the pressure of spending its four decades of existence in one of the city’s busiest hubs. The interior isn’t much better, some of the interior wiring was only created to last a short lifetime, because the ideas of evolution and renovation were built into its design. Of the 140 capsules that make up the tower, around 20 are still used as residencies, while a few others are used as office spaces, hobby spaces and the like.
However given its cultural significance, there are a number of organizations fighting to ensure the building lives way beyond its 50th birthday.
One such organization is the aforementioned Nakagin Capsule Tower Building Preservation and Rehabilitation Project. A passion project of Tatsuyuki Maeda, the advertising worker bought one of the capsules in 2010 and has ever since been one of the loudest proponents for maintaining the tower’s legacy.
Maeda explains his love affair of the building “I remember seeing a peculiar building from the Metropolitan Expressway as a child. As I passed in front of the building everyday as I went to work, my desire to enter the building grew stronger, so I bought a capsule in 2010. Once I became an owner, I realized how attractive this building was, as well as its charms where owners and residents with similar tastes come together. Gradually, I got more and more into it.”
The project has three main initiatives 1. Consulting and advice on on how to appropriate repair the tower, 2. Finding new ways to increase the value of the capsules. 3. Engage in PR activities to raise awareness of building.
“As part of the conservation action, we are promoting the Nakagin capsule Tower’s charm to groups of people outside of the world of architecture.” Explains Maeda-san who is now like the tower’s gatekeeper, organizing visits inside the mysterious and enigmatic architectural marvel as well as connecting sellers to those who are in the market to buy a capsule. “we also run guided tours, in both Japanese and English, and in 2015 we published a crowd-funded book documenting the current state of the building.”
Although today only a small cluster of the rooms are used for living, thanks to those passionate about the structure, a cluster of the capsules have been given a second life, either as small offices for design companies, or modern, and prior to the recent restrictions minimalist AirBnBs. The building still attracts visitors from all corners the world Maeda-san explains; “[every day] people from all over the world in the field of or related to architecture and interior would come and visit to stay at this unique space. It was the only Asian accommodation that was listed in airbnb’s Top 40 Accommodations, for 2015.”
It’s clear that the love and fascination for this tower, one of Tokyo’s most unconventional tourist destinations is strong. Design fanatics make the pilgrimage across the nation to marvel at this strangely science-fiction inspired tower, while it’s a popular place to stay for adventurous travellers looking to explore a different side of Japan.
Over the past four years, the Nakagin Capsule Tower Building Preservation and Rehabilitation Project have been working hard to ensure that the tower’s legacy is not forgotten, while actively promoting the cultural significance of the site, and the team behind the organization are only happy to be your guide. If you’ve ever had an interest in visiting the tower, or learning more about its inner workings, be sure to visit www.nakagincapsuletower.com for more information about upcoming events, tours, and what you can do to keep the legacy alive.
Originally from Australia, in 2016 Lucy left her job as an editor of a culture and music magazine in Melbourne to live, work and travel in Japan. Between freelance writing and traveling, she’s been dabbling in film some very amateur film photography, which you can check out on her Instagram: @lucy.dayman. Check out her other writing work and photos at lucydayman.com
