"The Megacity Of Microhomes" - Tokyo, a city rebuilt from scratch twice in the 20th century, is a place of striking contrasts: colossal urban sprawl interspersed with ingenious micro homes. Faced with extreme population density and limited space, many residents have embraced "micro-architecture" to create intimate living spaces in this vast metropolis.
In Shibuya, a family lives in a 3-meter-wide, three-story home ingeniously nestled between a parking lot and a building. This 89-square-meter house offers tranquility amidst Tokyo’s hustle and bustle. Elsewhere, a young woman describes how her family’s 60-square-meter home necessitates carrying out some daily activities, like reading, outside—a lifestyle epitomized by Tokyo’s vibrant manga cafés.
Architect Manabu Maya showcases the possibilities of micro-living, presenting one of Tokyo’s smallest houses at just 16 square meters. These homes, scattered throughout the city, redefine the urban landscape with creativity and playfulness, offering a human-scale counterpoint to Tokyo's towering standardization.
The city is enormous and chaotic, yet Tokyo’s micro homes reveal how people reclaim space to create intimate, livable environments in one of the world’s most overwhelming megacities.