The Nakagin Capsule Tower Building, known outside Japan as the Nakagin Capsule Tower, is a mixed-use residential and office tower designed by architect Kisho Kurokawa and located in Shimbashi, Tokyo, Japan.
Completed in two years from 1970 to 1972, the building is a rare remaining example of Japanese Metabolism (alongside the older Kyoto International Conference Center), an architectural movement emblematic of Japan's postwar cultural resurgence.
It was the world's first example of capsule architecture ostensibly built for permanent and practical use.
The building, however, fell into disrepair.
Around thirty of the 140 capsules were still in use as apartments by October 2012, while others were used for storage or office space, or simply abandoned and allowed to deteriorate.
As recently as August 2017 capsules could still be rented (relatively inexpensively, considering the Ginza locale), though the waiting list remains long.
In March 2022, it was announced that the building would be demolished.
Attempts to raise funds to save it and campaigns to preserve it as a historic landmark were unsuccessful.
The tower was scheduled to be disassembled starting April 12, 2022, with component units repurposed.
The building is being disassembled, not merely torn down.
