Incredible Homes That Could Only Exist in Japan

Architect: ARTechnic
Est. Value: $57,829*

ARTechnic designed and built this beautiful, minimalist, shell-shaped home in Karuizawa. The home incorporates nature in its design, as it’s a two-section ovoid structure that wraps around a fir tree. Nestled in the forest, it’s as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside.

Shell House @maiashraf200000 / Pinterest.com

The smooth lines of the exterior are matched by curved banquets, round skylights, and built-in wooden structures on the inside, which work to match the shape of this home. The modern art looks like something a Takung collector would take home, but, when you look at the interior photos, the place is actually quite cozy. 

Architect: Fujiwarramuro
Est. Value: $100,000*

Though you might think of Japanese architecture as being more traditional-looking, this building is proof that that notion isn’t always true. This slatted, modern building is a family residence designed by Fujiwarramuro Architects. The House in Muko, as it’s called, was designed by Fujiwarramuro’s Yoshio Muro and Shintaro Fujiwara.

Layered House @hypeness / Pinterest.com

The family home isn’t the first from the talented designers, who also designed a skinny house in Kobe, as well as a huge, wrapped home in Kyoto that is surrounded by vertical louvers. The House in Muko looks as fantastical as something out of a Disney movie, though it is 100% real.

Architect: Akio Nakasa
Est. Value: $150,000*

This half-and-half house is a wonder. Designed by Akio Nakasa and photographed by Teppei Amano, the house is half of a white, traditional-looking home and half of a curved structure inlaid with blue tiles. The dichotomous home incorporates two major Japanese architectural traditions: nature and minimalism.

Rounded Corner House @padillaraven / Pinterest.com

The waved side of the home looks like the blue sea you’d see while on a Caribbean cruise, which the white, traditional, minimalistic side looks like the rest of the homes on the block. Fusing a natural structure with a minimalist one is typical of Nakasa’s design program. As one commenter put it, it would be fascinating to see what the interior looks like.

Architect: EASTERN Design Office
Est. Value: $40,000*

“A House Awaiting Death,” designed by EASTERN, is located on the outskirts of a Japanese town called Ise. EASTERN raised AHAD onto concrete blocks, allowing its residents a picture-perfect view of the sea. The concrete construction sits just twenty-eight feet above sea level, and irregularly shaped windows dot the concrete wall.

"A House Awaiting Death" @destadesign / Pinterest.com

The inside is just as unique, far less predictable than you might see from a skyscraper built by D.R. Horton or Bechtel. The wooden floors and ceiling are divided by V-shaped partitions, and slits lining up with the windows punctuate the internal walls. The overall effect is a modern dreamscape both on the interior and exterior. 

Architect: Shinichi Ogawa & Associates
Est. Value: $30,000*

Shinichi Ogawa & Associates built the Kawasaki Cube House on a 1.5-meter grid module. The little house is located in a residential neighborhood in Kanagawa. The home is a 9 x 9 x 6-meter structure, and all aspects of the home connect to the cubic void.

Kawasaki Cube House @wandermeander / Pinterest.com

The structure is far smaller than you might see from companies like Fluor. The hall, kitchen, and children’s room surround the living room, which is located on the ground floor. The courtyard, bathroom, walk-in closet, and bedroom surround the six-meter, double floor-height well. The windows allow sunlight inside. As Shinichi put it, “all events…are created through the void.” 

Architect: milligram
Est. Value: $50,000-$100,000*

This tiny, narrow building site might otherwise have been ignored by most construction companies, as it’s no small feat to fit a home in the densely populated city of Tokyo. However, milligram was up to the challenge. The architects constructed this open-space home, which has three levels and is swathed in wood and white.

Flagpole House @seloger / Pinterest.com

Tokyo is home to companies like Toyota, Honda, Sony, and more. It is also home to some of the highest costs of living in the world, with a cost of $3,984 for a family of four (not including rent). Even a small home like this isn’t cheap, costing $50,000-$100,000. 

Architect: Fuse-Atelier
Est. Value: $300,000-$350,000*

Designed by Fuse-Atelier, this Abiko home was built in 2011. Fuse-Atelier built this cement structure on a soft foundation, using stakes to support the dense, reinforced concrete. The upper part of the structure is cantilevered, and the walls and roof slab were made into 3D continuous slanted surfaces, which rationalized stress transmission.  

Concrete House @ndagano01 / Pinterest.com

Whether Fuse-Atelier used a company like Forterra or a Japanese business for the massive amount of cement used is unclear. What is clear is that this is a marvel of modern architecture. According to the architects, the client wanted a “gallery-like space” made of “concrete” that would allow their furniture collection to stand out. 

Architect: Sou Fujimoto
Est. Value: $918/month*

Sou Fujimoto, a Japanese architect, designed these home-shaped apartments, which are nestled right in the heart of Tokyo. Fujimoto, according to Oris, is a “marginal autodidact” and an “outsider” in the world of Japanese architecture, and the architect’s creations, such as these apartments, never fail to set him apart.

Funky Apartments @daikynguyen / Pinterest.com

The three shells of the building are progressive in size, and the entire design was completed several years ago, making these apartments newer. Rent in Tokyo starts at around $918 for apartments like this. The population of Tokyo, the site of popular movies like MGM’s Battle Royale, is 9.273 million. 

Architect: Hideyuki Nakayama Architecture
Est. Value: $100,000-$150,000*

Micro-houses such as this are the newest trend in Tokyo, and it’s starting to spread to office spaces as well. This quaint “skinny house” is designed by Hideyuki Nakayama Architecture, which named it the “O House.” The two-story home has a lean-to structure extending from it. These spaces are created by spanning rafters from the adjacent house’s retaining walls to the main house.

O House @chambre237 / Pinterest.com

The O House was finished in 2009 in Kyoto, which is home to major headquarters of companies like Apple and Panasonic. The O House’s lean-tos are where its dining room, bath, and main furniture are located. Nakayama described the main, windowed section of the micro-house as a “passage garden.”

Architect: Ryue Nishizawa
Est. Value: $400,000*

Named “The Garden House,” this natural home is designed by Ryue Nishizawa, a Japanese architect who is well known throughout the country for unique, spacious designs. You might not think of a home in a city as being a haven for natural gardens, but this one certainly is.

Garden House @millionfeed / Pinterest.com

The townhouse is located in Tokyo, and, instead of having an exterior wall, it has a stack of green, lush gardens. The townhouse has five stories, and homes in the area are a bit expensive, priced at around $400,000. The amount of plants you could fit into the garden spaces of this home would necessitate a ton of trips to Home Depot or Lowe’s. 

Architect: Suppose Design
Est. Value: $99,000*

Built by Suppose Design, a Hiroshima architectural studio, this black pyramid is peak modern architecture. Suppose is focused on residential architecture with a twist, which this certainly qualifies as. According to Suppose, the Saijo, Hiroshima home is based on pit-dwelling houses, which were ancient shelters that were used in harsh climates by ancient peoples.

Black Pyramid Home @abragorana / Pinterest.com

Pit-dwelling homes were often the center of cultural activities, like celebrations, storytelling, singing, and dancing. It was this unique spirit that Suppose Design tried to infuse in the pyramid-shaped home. This unusually-shaped structure looks like something you’d find in a Warner Bros sci-fi movie, as the shape isn’t exactly something you’d expect to find in a city.  

Architect: Makiko Tasuda
Est. Value: $300,000-$400,000*

Designed by Makiko Tasuda, this home is known as the Tunnel House. The Tokyo home’s exterior and interior are both connected by a carved-out section designed perpendicular to the nearby road. This means that the street is extended and incorporated as part of the home.

Tunnel House @chiifraptikin1985hy / Pinterest.com

The “soto” (outside of the tunnel) and “uchi” (inside of the tunnel) spaces are divided and linked by the convex tunnel. The entire façade is glass-enclosed, and the bathroom and bedroom are hidden inside a steel and concrete structure. Inside this modern home are open ceilings and screen partitions, which help create a sense of openness.   

Architect: Unknown
Est. Value: $354,000-$394,000*

At first glance, this home might not seem like much, but, when you look closer, you’ll see that it is actually a uniquely elevated residence. The home is located in Tokyo, and its elevated structure is actually not as modern a feature as it may seem.

Elevated House @Chloe_de_Quillacq / Pinterest.com

Japanese houses have been elevated for centuries. Originally, wooden columns were erected atop foundations of packed stones or earth, which helped the homes avoid moisture or floods. Now, as this home shows, elevated homes are designed using more contemporary building materials, but their practicality and value remain the same, whether they’re in rural areas or densely-populated cities.    

Architect: Unknown
Est. Value: $500/month*

This Chiba City apartment building is colorful and cheery, providing a sunny look to an otherwise boring apartment complex. The architect is unknown, but there’s no denying the talent of the designer and their innovative work with color. The interior contrasts with the traditional-looking exterior.

Colorblock Interior Home @millionfeed / Pinterest.com

While the interior is sharp angles and colors, the exterior is a plain white façade, and the color is only noticeable from the curtains. Chiba City has a population of 980,000 and it is home to a lot of seaside restaurants, shops, and attractions. According to one real estate site, rent is cheap, costing an average of $500 per month.