Nakagin Capsule Tower – life in a capsule

We will tell you about unique apartments located in the Nakagin Capsule Tower, a building in the center of Tokyo (Japan). This housing is a prime example of what the lack of land for construction in the center of a modern metropolis leads to. Our tips site will show you what capsule apartments look like.

Built Nakagin Capsule Tower in 1972. The Shimbashi building became a symbol of Japanese technical ambition, cultural renaissance, and the world’s first capsule-style structure. The 13-storey tower is used not only for residential but also commercial purposes – there are offices here. It is noteworthy that the architect Kisho Kurokawa built the house so that individual capsules could be replaced without touching the rest of the Nakagin Capsule Tower..

In total, the building, consisting of two connected towers, contains 140 individual modules, that is, capsules. They can be combined to create a larger residential or commercial space, but we will show you a classic capsule apartment.

The portal has already told you about the tiniest private residential buildings. The apartments in Nakagin Capsule Tower are considered to be among the smallest in the world. The standard area of ​​one capsule is only 8.9 square meters. The apartment is more like a spaceship cabin. The built-in storage system occupies one wall, the bed or sofa can be placed under the window or against the opposite wall. Places, of course, to put it mildly, not much, there is no kitchen as such. You can only put a microwave oven and an electric kettle. Public laundry.

The most noticeable detail of the interior is the round porthole window that can be opened to ventilate the room. As you can see in the photo, some residents maintain order and limit themselves to a minimum of personal belongings. For others, things literally fill a tiny space..

This is what the bathroom “room” looks like in a capsule apartment. A toilet, a tiny sink, and a bathroom you can only sit in. In the center there is a drain for water, which will inevitably fall on the floor due to the limited space.

Some of the apartments at Nakagin Capsule Tower even look cozy. And, of course, always unusual. Who lives in them? Usually capsules are rented by young, still lonely Japanese, who decided to save on housing. Such inhabitants traditionally dine in cafes, canteens, use public laundries and baths. It is convenient for them to live in the center of Tokyo, and they do not need much personal space.

Note that today Nakagin Capsule Tower is in poor condition. The declared service life of the capsules of 25 years has already expired, there are problems with the sewerage and water supply. In addition, asbestos, which is harmful to health, was used in the decoration. There was talk that the building should be demolished and a new skyscraper built. But many are in favor of preserving the unique tower, a project has been created aimed at its reconstruction.