INVISIBLE SLUM

The Invisible Slum refers to a condition in which inequality, poverty, and social exclusion do not appear as spatially visible concentrations, as in conventional slums, but instead emerge in dispersed forms throughout the urban environment. In societies where capitalism has permeated to a certain level, it appears on the surface that everyone enjoys a degree of prosperity (a form of cultural inclusion). In reality, however, numerous forms of structural exclusion persist, whereby socially vulnerable groups are marginalized by institutional frameworks and labour markets. These conditions exist in forms that are difficult to perceive spatially or visually, embedded within the fabric of the city.

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In postwar Japan, while conventional slums were largely eliminated at a social level, poverty and housing precarity did not disappear but instead transformed into new forms. As a result, “new slums” have emerged in dispersed and largely invisible ways across the city, exemplified by phenomena such as "internet café refugees" and the "working poor". Precisely because these conditions remain invisible, they are difficult to recognize as social issues, and there is even the possibility that we ourselves unknowingly contribute to their maintenance and reproduction. From the perspective of architectural research, such conditions are also extremely difficult to address.

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This research project seeks to conceptualize this “invisible slum,” to develop planning frameworks and methodologies for engaging with these conditions, and ultimately to propose possibilities for architectural intervention.