ABSTRACT
A book published in 2001, entitled Made in Tokyo,1 lays out its architectural contents explicitly in the form of a guide to the unusual and specific building types that have proliferated in the capital in recent years. The generic naming of these types and the isometric line drawings and location maps provide interesting insights into the differences between these new urban constituents according to their main distinguishing features. Among those listed are: neon building, pachinko cathedral, sex building, karaoke bar, car tower, shopping wall/mall, billboard apartment house, golf taxi building, rollercoaster building, bath tour building. Each entry is defined by its primary function, a typical urban location is given, and a three-dimensional drawing identifies its main elements. The sekkusu biru, or sex building, for example, which is typical in soapland (the sex district) in Japan, is shown as a five-storey structure, and is described as a ‘mixed tenancy’ building, where rooms for sexual services are located in the upper rear parts of the building, with windows alternating with advertising banners across the front façade. The entrance is shown as a narrow flight of stairs leading from the pavement to the first floor and a small signboard sits on the pavement advertising the facilities and services within to passersby.
