The OPEN [apartment] committee is a volunteer group formed in August 2002 working to open the former Dojunkai Otsuka Women’s Apartment house to the public. The apartment is now under the management of the Housing Bureau of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government..

The apartment house is one of the 16 buildings that the former Dojunkai group designed in the early 20th century in the Tokyo metropolitan area. The Otsuka apartment is the only one designed exclusively for women. For that reason, the building has not been well known to the general public. The building closed its doors after the last resident left the apartment in May 2002.

The OPEN [apartment] committee members believe that the 70-year-old building contains the passage of time. It also provides valuable information on architectural design that we cannot find anywhere else. We want many people to experience the feeling of time and space that the old building still has to offer. By re-examining the building, we hope the viewers can find something important or different from today's daily lives.

We understand that all buildings will be demolished in the end. However, it is our responsibility to hand down the memories and spirit hidden behind each of the buildings.

So far, only 500 people have had a chance to the building by obtaining the permission from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

* OPEN [apartment] committee
Makiko Hara (art critic / independent curator / Art Front Gallery)
Masashi Ogura (art critic / independent curator)
Yuichi Konno (editor / ex. Atelier Peyotl)
Mikio Kurokawa (artist / photographer / lecturer)
Manabu Shimbori (Architect / Shinbori Atelier)
Yumiko Yoshimoto
Hikotaro Kanehira
Aiko Shirane
Yoshiharu Uno
E-mail: apart@2minus.com

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E-mail: open-apartment@2minus.com