Advertisement

Japan's Capsule Living: Amazing Images Of People Living In Tiny Spaces

Japan is famous for its packed cities and tightly organised people, and one artist has captured the reality of living in a tiny space in a series of real life photographs

An artist working in Japan has captured the incredible lifestyle of people living long-term in the tiny spaces created for backpackers and holiday-makers.

Won Kim
Won Kim

Photographer Won Kim's portraits show the reality behind one of the tiny hidden hotels in Japan's capital Tokyo, where Kim himself stayed while packpacking around Japan in 2013.

He returned two years later to make Enclosed: Living Small. For the series he lived in the place for a few months, getting to know some of the longer-stay residents and taking pictures of how they arrange their miniature temporary homes.

The artist wrote, explaining what the series meant to him:

"For me, the real interest of the resulting portraits is in how each resident has made use of a such a small, confining space.

“In each case, the sharply-defined space and its contents tell something about its occupant’s personality, and his or her ability to function in such a strange, enclosed environment.”

These capsule dwellers' lodgings are hard to find, tucked into a larger office building, with no sign posts to help people find their way in.

Kim rewarded each of his subjects with a 15 minutes shoulder massage, which no doubt they need after so much time little living.

He wrote: ”This diminutive, bare-bones hotel takes up one floor of an office building.

“It is composed of a few hallways, along which the proprietor has built tiny living compartments, …none with enough headroom to stand up straight inside. Separated only by unfinished plywood, the spaces have no windows or door, only a curtain at the entrance for privacy."

See more on Kim's Instagram or his website.

Via modernmet