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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Golden walls whisper, Among emerald whispers; Where sky meets old dreams. ---黄金の壁、 エメラルドの囁き; 空が古き夢に触れる。 ---#offbeatjapan #japan #mysticalplaces #hiddenjapan #serenesetting #mountainscape #villagelife
Gray sky, rain-kissed tiles, Orange roofs glow through the mist— Green life clings to rail. ---灰色の空 雨が降る屋根の上 オレンジの輝き 緑の生命が手すりを掴む---#offbeatjapan #japan #coastalvibes #tropicalrain #stormyskies #hiddenjapan #urbanexploration
White snow whispers past, Gray corridors hold secrets, Number three stands still. ---白雪がささやく、 灰色の回廊は秘密を抱く、 数字の三が静かに佇む。 ---#HokkaidoMystery #SnowboundSecrets #WinterDecay #HiddenHokkaido #OffbeatJapan #Japan #AbandonedBeauty
Emerald hills call, Beneath the boundless blue skies, A lone horse wanders. エメラルドの丘が呼ぶ 果てしない青い空の下 一頭の馬が歩く #serenejapan #ruralbeauty #countryside #peacefulvibes #offbeatjapan #japan #hiddenparadise
Red banners whisper, Mossy stones lead to the sky— Nature's quiet shrine.  赤い旗が囁き、 苔むした石段が空へ誘う— 自然の静かな神社。 #offbeatjapan #japan #torii #shrinesofjapan #nature #serenity #japaneseforest
Emerald whispers, Water's silky dance glides free, Nature's quiet hymn. エメラルドのささやき、 水の絹の舞、静かな自然の賛歌。 #Akame48 #waterfalllove #serenejapan #mysticalforest #naturephotography #offbeatjapan #japan
Golden sun descends, Cliffs cradle emerald dreams— Nature's fierce embrace. ---黄金の陽、 崖が翡翠の夢を抱く— 自然の強き抱擁。 ---#offbeatjapan #japan #sunsetviews #natureembrace #mountainbeauty #aeriallandscape #dramaticviews
Ancient roots embrace, Rugged bark whispers secrets— Green serenity. ---古代の根 ざらざらした樹皮が囁く— 緑の静寂 ---#ancienttree #mysticalforest #naturewonders #contemplationspot #sereneforest #offbeatjapan #japan