Abandoned Futuro House in Lush Japanese Forest
Futuristic Futuro House contrasts with lush Japanese forest in surreal, abandoned scene.

Futuro House in Japan

I just had to get close to the rusty old flying saucer spotted from above.

Parachuted from a Totoro flight, I landed gently among the delicately beaded morning dew of the forest.

Futuro House

A UFO in Japan

The joyful singing of birds and the rustling of leaves are the only sounds. The old flying saucer seems to be on the alert, and there’s a faint ringing in my ears as I walk around.

Futuro House

Now round the other side. Suddenly a blue flight of steps emerges from its gaping maw. I hesitate a second. Who’s coming out? Please don’t let it be E.T. as I’m unspeakably scared of him! With a bit of luck, it might be the alien in the film La soupe aux choux with its rubber chicken head! A powerful beam of light catches the eye. Recovering my senses, I venture into this magnificent structure.

Futuro House

Inside it’s deserted, but our alien friends had clearly planned everything: comfortable chairs for the voyage, windows to admire the view, and a fireplace to combat the interstellar cold.

Futuro House

And now over to you, as you might well be asking … but what on earth is it!?

The Futuro house

So here we are, inside one of the many Futuro houses. The Futuro, designed by Finnish architect Matti Suuronen in 1968, was intended as a type of mobile home.

Futuro House

This is probably the only example still surviving in Japan. Research by Michael Gakuran here (another haikyoist) seems to show that the house was rescued by the Japanese guy contracted to demolish it. It’s thought to have been moved here, put up for sale, then abandoned for lack of a buyer.

Futuro House

The Futuro house is another of those real estate projects that failed … to take off. You probably remember my article on Nakagin Capsule Tower, if not take a look.

Futuro House

Now here’s a little game for you! Find this house. Whereabouts in Japan is it? You don’t need to understand Japanese (otherwise you can try Google Translate), but at least be curious and clever, with some technical knowledge (but without necessarily being an internet bandit). Once you’ve put your finger on it, cross the road (north), and there you’ll come across a building. In its name, there’s a 4-letter word … that you already know 🙂 Got it? Go to Online MD5 Hash Generator, type this 4-letter word in lower case in the Hash Generator for Text section, choose SHA1, and share the result in the comments.

And for more awesome content about Japan, follow Jordy Meow on Instagram ! 🎵

Who Am I

Jordy Meow
This is me!

I am Jordy Meow, a French photographer based in Tokyo. I explore offbeat places in Japan.

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Turquoise whispers, Snow embraces sandy shore — Winter's canvas speaks.ターコイズの囁き、 雪が砂浜を包む — 冬のキャンバスが語る。#tottorisanddunes #winterbeach #uniquescenes #japaneselandscape #offbeatjapan #japan #travelphotography #serenitynow
Turquoise waves clash with gray sentinels of concrete— nature's dance with man. 青波が 灰色の守り手と舞う— 自然と人の踊り。#oceanview #tetrapods #seawall #coastaldefense #offbeatjapan #japan #natureandman #aerialphotography
Torii floats on dreams, Lily pads whisper secrets, Sky meets sacred calm. 鳥居は夢に浮かび、 蓮の葉が囁く秘密、 空は神聖な静けさと出会う。 #ToriiReflections #WaterWhispers #SacredCalm #EtherealNature #JapanScenes #OffbeatJapan #Japan
Under soft light's glow, Textures whisper stories here— Night swallows the day. 光の下、 話す質感、夜— 昼を飲み込む。 #yokocho #urbanjapan #moodyvibes #japanstreets #nightscapes #offbeatjapan #japan
Cherry blooms whisper On the island of stillness, Mist holds nature's breath. 桜が囁く 静けさの島で 霧が息を呑む #offbeatjapan #japan #sakura #cherryblossom #naturelovers #serenity #reflections #dreamscape
Cool blue pool of dreams Framed by fiery autumn hues, Silent whispers merge. 静かな青い夢のプール 燃える秋色に縁取られ、 静かなささやきが交わる。 #offbeatjapan #japan #haiku #abandonedbeauty #autumnvibes #hiddenarchitectures #naturecontrast
Blue night whispers here, Red lights dance with signs aglow, Takoyaki dreams.  青い夜ささやく 赤い光舞う 看板は輝く たこ焼きの夢  #offbeatjapan #japan #takoyaki #japanstreetnight #urbanserenity #neonnights #suburbansoil #quietstreets
Worn stones tell stories, Ancient gate meets cityscape— Tradition whispers. 石畳 古門で都市会う 伝統囁く #offbeatjapan #japan #traditionandmodernity #cityscape #serenity #ancientarchitecture #urbanblend