For over a decade Tokyo Fox has focused on the modern architecture of Tokyo with a long-running ten part series featuring over 100 interesting-looking buildings. During that time I have also taken photos of some unique structures outside of the capital city but had no place to showcase them until now. This is Volume 3 which includes some weird and wonderful buildings in Saitama, Chiba and Ibaraki.
5. Museum of Modern Art Saitama (MOMAS), 9-30-1 Tokiwa, Urawa-ku, Saitama – The entrance to this art museum is a glass building within the awe-inspiring grid-like construction that was designed by architect Kurokawa Kisho. It is located in the heart of the fairly spacious Kitaurawa Park and has been around since November 1982. More details here
4. Masuii House, 3-2-5 Nakaaoki, Saitama – The shape of this place is crazy but if you look closely you’ll see that there are a couple of support poles not that I’d still be too comfortable with them if I was at the end of that building!
3. Yokoshi Tomonokai Religious Association, 5752-1 Kamigo, Tsukuba, Ibaraki – This futuristic temple’s mysterious architecture began it’s construction in 1996. It’s shiny golden dragon bone can be spotted from afar in this area of fields and some of the building’s transparent roofing gives the impression of super high dimensional light which I guess all fits in with the beliefs of the religion which were once taught inside. More details here
2. Imba Nihon-idai Station, Inzai, Chiba – This building, characterised by it’s clock tower and Tower of Babel dome-like structure, was designed to be a symbol of Chiba New Town once completed in July 2000. It is on the Keisei Electric Railway or Hokuso Railway.
1. Hotel UFO, 1-34-21 Makuharihongo, Hanamigawa-ku, Chiba – There really is no difficulty in identifying this particular building which is located less than 10 minutes on foot from Makuhari-Hongo station on the Sobu Line. This mysterious building is actually one of Japan’s famous love hotels with 24 rooms available. More details here
Click here to read ‘Modern Architecture Outside of Tokyo #1 – Hokkaido & Tōhoku’
Click here to read ‘Modern Architecture Outside of Tokyo #2 – Tōhoku & Tochigi’
Click on the following links to see previous Tokyo Modern Architecture posts…
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