The building is home to three educational institutions: Tokyo Mode Gakuen (fashion vocational school), HAL Tokyo (special technology and design college), and Shuto Ikō (medical college).

The architects, Tange Associates, said its cocoon-like shape symbolizes nurturing the students inside;[1] they also said they wanted the building to revitalize the surrounding area and to create a gateway between Shinjuku Station and the Shinjuku central business district.

[3] Built on the former site of the now-demolished Asahi Life headquarters, construction of the Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower began in May 2006 and was completed in October 2008.

[4] The vertical campus can accommodate 10,000 students for the three vocational schools that occupy the building.

Every three floors, a three-story student lounge is located between the classrooms and faces three directions: east, southwest and northwest.