When railways and expressways are carved through an existing urban grid, awkwardly shaped scraps of land are often left in their wake. In central Tokyo, if the fragment is big enough for a single room and a stairwell, something will be built. Architects need to think both laterally and vertically to capture precious space. The Hayakawa family was lucky. They ended up with a tidy triangle in the heart of Shibuya. And they were even luckier to have an architect as a son.
Nori-san is ever-ready.The result is Fellow, a reggae bar cocooned in a cozy triangular basement. In an area dotted with noisy yakitori shops and shingled with gaudy neon signs for love hotels, the entrance is remarkable in its simplicity. A wooden seat sits on the street cradling a board bearing the name. A single bulb, covered in a small orb of washi, juts out above the door, which is always open. Beyond, a staircase plunges below. Within seconds, you can feel the reggae.