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Nakagin Capsule Tower tour

We would like to thank everyone for your visit over 4 years.
Due to the demolishment of the Nakagin Capsule Tower, the English tour by Nakagin Capsule Tower Preservation and Restoration Project is over.
We will update about you the next project in our blog so stay tuned and see you soon!

Showcase Tokyo Blog

  • 1 Hour
  • Group tour/ Private tour
  • All weather

Overview

Kisho Kurokawa's Nakagin Capsule Tower is one of the most iconic buildings in Tokyo and a symbol of the Metabolism movement of the '60s and '70s. The capsule units were designed to be removable and replaceable every 25years. However, the plan has not been realized and the building faces a threat of demolition. This tour is in cooperation with the Nakagin Capsule Tower Preservation and Restoration Project. Part of the tour fee will be donated to support the project. Since this tower is well-known by many intrigued architecture fans, there are people all around the globe visiting this building every day, but internal observation without special arrangement is usually not accepted. As an official and the only tour group allowed to take guests inside the tower, we will be happy to welcome you into the capsule room with the original cabinet and vintage Sony open reel tape recorder. Don’t miss this chance to discover Nakagin Capsule Tower and experience what the future looked like back in 1972.

Important note
Due to the 2019-2020 outbreak of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), we are taking extra precautions with the care of every client to include health history review and enhanced sanitation/disinfecting procedures in compliance with CDC guidance.   
 *Symptoms of COVID-19 include Fever, Fatigue, Dry Cough or Difficulty Breathing
We hope that everyone can be responsible for your own safety and actions.
We would reschedule your tour or cancel with a 100% refund in case you are not feeling well or your body temperature is higher than 37.5 Celsius on the morning of the tour date.
We do not take any responsibility or liability for any damage or infections caused through our service.
Click here for Showcase Tokyo Coronavirus Infection Control Measure
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What's Included

Professional Guide too passionate about the Nakagin Capsule Tower. Enjoy the charming story behind this building and current situation of the building. The tour will be in English.

Great Photo Opportunity

Don't worry. We all know that architecture lovers are photographers. We will take enough time for photo shoot.

Meeting point

In front of the entrance of Nakagin Capsule Tower. Nakagin Capsule Tower Address: 8-chōme-16-10 Ginza Map: https://goo.gl/maps/q98PSHV6hM92

Thank you for your support

This tour is supported by the Nakagin Capsule Tower Preservation & Restoration Project and part of the tour fee will be donated to support the project.

Reviews

This tower has already fascinated me since we live here in Tokyo. I had many questions about ….."what's that?" to "How does someone get this idea?" I got a lot of answers now. For me…. this architecture is fascinating!!! The small details in the execution inside the modules…wow. Thank you for the opportunity to have a look inside this impressive building.
Claudia from Germany
Mar 2020
The tour we took of the Nakagin Capsule Tower with our guide Yoshi was an absolute delight. We learned so much about the building and Yoshi was a very charismatic host. I would urge anyone visting Tokyo with an interest in 20th century architecture to take this tour, as the building may not be with us for much longer, although we all hope it will be.
Gareth from Germany
Mar 2020
Just to view the Nakagin Capsule Tower was part of my motivation for visiting Tokyo, so it's a real treat that this tour exists. I'd only seen about a 2 minute short on a BBC documentary so knew virtually nothing beyond some broad statements about its intentions and success/failure. So Mari's tour provided a lot more insight into where this building fitted into 1970s Tokyo. I learned a lot. Mari speaks fluent English, and her knowledge and enthusiasm for this building and Tokyo's architecture made the entire experience worthwhile. The building is still occupied but we got a thorough look around one of the capsules, as well as a look around some of the communal areas, including the shower in the car-park. There was also some great insight into some of the current residents and what they have done with their capsules. And plenty of photo opportunities if that's your thing.
Nick from UK
Oct 2019