Tokyo’s architectural scene at times shocks with its unique design concepts and at other times beautifully fuses cultural heritage with modern demands — leaving visitors in awe. While Tokyo Tower (and in recent years Tokyo Skytree too) may be considered the symbol of the metropolis, our list takes you to places that embody the unique culture and aesthetics lived in this city every day.
1. Nakagin Capsule Tower
Nakagin Capsule Tower (中銀カプセルタワー) is located in Shimbashi District, which is close to the Ginza neighbourhood, the former Tsukiji Fish Market, and Hamarikyu Gardens. It is one of the few remaining examples of the Metabolism architectural movement in Japan that saw the life of humans in a post-modern megalopolis similar to that of individual cells in the human body. Constructed in 1972 in a mere 30 days, the building is made up of 140 individual capsules, each 2.5 m by 4 m in size, that are used for tiny apartments or office space. The tower is a reinforced concrete construction and its individual capsules (lightweight steel boxes) are attached by high-tension bolts.
Featured in a number of movies and documentaries, Nakagin Capsule Tower is well worth a visit (but note that you can not enter the premises though). About 30 capsules still remain in use while much of the building is visibly deteriorating. Capsules are up for rent, although the waiting list is long, despite the general state of disrepair and that apparently the hot water has been shut off.
Address: 8 Chome-16-10 Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-0061
Access: 5-minute walk from Tsukijishijo Station.
2. SunnyHills Aoyama
Located in the middle of a residential area in the upscale Aoyama neighbourhood, this Taiwanese cake shop definitely impresses at first sight. The company commissioned Japanese star architect Kengo Kuma to evoke the vibe of the shop's popular pineapple cakes. He chose to work with jigoku-gumi, a traditional Japanese technique of fusing wood without glue or bolts. The transparent wooden lattice of the building forms ever-changing patterns of sunlight on the inside, depending on the time of the day.
Address: 3 Chome-10-20 Minamiaoyama, Minato City, Tokyo 107-0062
Access: 5-minute walk from Omotesando Station.
3. The Iceberg Harajuku (former Audi Forum)
This landmark building is located midway between Harajuku and Shibuya on Meiji Dori, one of the Tokyo's major arteries, and was completed in 2006. The director of CDI, Hiroyuki Yoshikawa, who was commissioned with the design, stated that the inspiration for the unusual exterior design was based on a ”crystal iceberg and a plastic bottle after going through a shredder.”
This rather unusual duo of muses is embodied by triangular glass panels that make up an asymmetric glass facade and transparent elevator shaft. Three types of glass in different hues of blue enhance the building's look of a giant crystal rising in the middle of town. Audi has since moved out of the crystal and The Iceberg is now a very fancy branch of the co-working chain WeWork.
Address: 6 Chome-12-18 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0001
Access: 4-minutes walk from Meijijingu-mae Station.
4. Reiyukai Shakaden Temple
What looks like an evil spaceship out of a sci-fi movie was actually built to be a vehicle of world peace. Reiyukai Shakaden Temple, which translates to “Inner Trip”, is the headquarters of a modern Buddhist religion that sprang up in Japan in the 1930s. With pacifist goals of promoting world peace, the organisation welcomes anyone to visit the headquarters free of charge. As part of its mission, the organisation also offers free Japanese lessons for foreigners. And oddly stores 400,000 litres of drinking water in case of emergency.
Address: 1 Chome-7-8 Azabudai, Minato City, Tokyo 106-8644
Access: 7-minute walk from Kamiyacho Station.
5. Le Corbusier Building of the National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo
The main building of the National Museum of Western Art was designed by architect Le Corbusier. It is his only work in the Far East and was met with glorious reviews at the time of its opening in 1959. The New York Times praised the building's "artistic significance and beauty" — rivaling the paintings it houses. Square in layout, the interior boasts double-height ceilings and a pyramidal skylight.
While 2019 tastes might not consider it quite as breathtaking as when it was first unveiled, the Le Corbusier Building still holds tremendous importance as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is considered a historical monument of modern architecture.
Address: 7-7 Uenokoen, Taito City, Tokyo 110-0007
Access: 2-minute walk from Ueno Station.
6. Mikimoto Ginza 2
Japan’s most renowned pearl brand has had a presence in Ginza for over a century. Star architect Toyo Ito designed the company's new headquarters: the Mikimoto Ginza 2 Building (revealed in 2005). The simple, square design of the nine-storey building is contrasted by a façade that is broken up by organically shaped windows that resemble the natural, not always perfectly round pearls formed by oysters. The windows placed in the corners reveal that the structure is column-free and carried entirely by its outer walls. The building is especially spectacular at night when the windows are lit up in various hues of soft-coloured light.
Address: 2 Chome−4−12 Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-8145
Access: 4-minute walk from Ginza Station.
7. Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower
The skyscraper is the most eye-catching feature of Shinjuku’s skyline besides the iconic Takashimaya Times Square clock tower. It was conceived out of a proposal to design a non-rectangular skyscraper. The cocoon-shaped tower is 50 storeys tall and houses two colleges and a fashion school. The architects, Tange Associates, chose a cocoon shape to symbolise the nurturing of students inside. The impressive structure was completed in 2008 and has received several awards. It is currently the second-tallest educational building in the world.
Address: 1 Chome-7-3 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 160-0023
Access: 5-minute walk from Shinjuku Station.
8. Aoyama Technical College
Lurking in a small alley of residential Shibuya, this compact building resembles something out of the sci-fi action film Transformers, seemingly ready to strike at any moment. Opened in 1990, it was the first project of architect Makoto Sei Watanabe and houses the Aoyama Technical School, a vocational college. The flashy roof is more than just decoration by the way. All elements that make up its robotic appearance are essential from an architectural point of view, including a lightning rod, a water tank, supporting posts and joints — just executed in a very creative fashion.
Address: 7-9 Uguisudanicho, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0032
Access: 8-minute walk from Shibuya Station.
9. Nameless Showa-style food haven
This nameless building in Shibuya has recently become Insta-famous. The small corner property was probably built in the 70s or 80s and embodies the charm of the by-gone Showa era during Japan's rise as the world’s most successful economy. It houses a dazzling microcosmos of frills-free restaurants and food outlets — with their bright neon signs stacked on top of each other fighting for your precious attention. You can easily imagine the loud groups of drunken salarymen enjoying yakitori chicken and cold beers here in the evenings. For the majority of Tokyo's residents, socialising is spent outside their often small and cramped apartments, thus, this small, traditional food complex tangibly sums up an important aspect of life in Tokyo.
Address: 3-22 Sakuragaokacho, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0031
Access: 2-minute walk from Shibuya Station.
10. Tokyu Plaza Omotesando (Omohara Building)
Even if you haven't yet visited Omohara, as it is known amongst the locals, you've surely seen pictures of its mirrored entrance in your guidebook or on social media. The shopping complex’s official name is Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku, but gets its nickname as it's located between Tokyo's Omotesando and Harajuku neighbourhoods. Not just another garden-variety shopping destination, the building boasts a futuristic escalator hall that is definitely worth a photo and a spacious sixth-floor rooftop covered by a canopy of trees offering a great view of the surrounding area. (The rooftop also turns into a beer garden in the summer months!)
The fusion of modern architecture elements with the forested rooftop integrates the building seamlessly into its environment: the tree-lined Omotesando Avenue that leads to the impressive Meiji Shrine and doubles as one of Tokyo’s most luxurious shopping streets.
Address: 4 Chome-30-3 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0001
Access: 1-minute walk from Meijijingu-mae Station
By Mareike Dornhege
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