Capsule hotels are a pretty unique part of modern Japanese culture, and a testament to the power of free trade and market demand.
The sign on the right says “No tattoos in the public bath,” but luckily with my small tattoo, I managed to sneak around that one.
If you are a business person, in town only for a short while, and don’t wish to pay the full fee for a normal hotel stay, you may consider booking a night at a capsule hotel and spa.
On my last trip to Tokyo, I stayed at Spa Vivi, located in the heart of Roppongi, Tokyo, Japan.
Spa Vivi is a capsule hotel/spa with separate wings for men and women featuring capsules, a public bath, sauna, restaurant, and of course free wi-fi, among other things.
Once you’ve checked in and paid for your stay (one night here was about 40 USD) the staff will provide you with a key to your locker and your capsule number. A yukata (Japanese traditional casual-type robe) and towels are usually provided and waiting for you in the locker.
If you have large pieces of luggage, storage for these is usually available for a small charge. As I just had a small backpack, everything fit nicely into the standard provided locker.
Now let’s check out the capsule itself!
Woops. Sorry. Wrong picture.
There we go. Inside the capsule you’ll find bedding and basic controls for lighting, etc. The worst part of my stay this time was that there was no AC in the capsule! This is not uncommon, but the hotel advertises that it is air-conditioned. The problem was that the AC was outside of the “standard”capsules, in the hall. The more expensive, larger capsules appeared to have been air-conditioned. Oof. I didn’t actually sleep much this time. Previous experiences have been better.
Upside down and sweating inside of my capsule, number 39.
For me, the real appeal of capsule motels is not the capsules, but the amenities and quirky little features present.
Unwind in your towel after a hot bath with some retro gaming.
Chill out in the relaxation lounge (a lot of people actually seem to prefer to sleep here).
Check out the community happenings while you charge up your phone.
Another really charming aspect of these places is that they are kind of like hostels, with their own little subculture and community. That, and the fantastically relaxing music played in the lobby:
Finally, as I couldn’t take pics in the sento (public bath) for obvious reasons, here’s a photo provided by the property:
So how was the stay all in all?
Well, the capsule area smelled kind of like a damp, used gym towel, which wasn’t cool, and the capsule was too hot. Be sure to specify you want one of the “suite-style,” larger capsules
with AC!
On the other hand, the bath, relaxed atmosphere, and staff were all great, so that was a bonus.
Basically, if you’re looking for a cheap, one night stay, it’s not a bad deal, and actually kind of fun. Just know you may not get the best sleep of your life unless you make sure your specific capsule hotel has cooled capsules!
~KafkA
Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as DLive and Twitter. (Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person!)
oh my God....
this reminds to an older song, hehehehe
cargo box.....
Best regards
Tom
Lol! Yeah, it’s kinda like that :)
hehehe, I think for people with claustrophobia it's a no go.....
That's pretty cool still.
Imagine the extra cost if each capsule had its own air conditioning. Yikes. "Yes, I'd like to order two hundred air conditioners please."
Japan looks cool af. Is there no way to sleep with the door open? Or would that be inconvenient, unsafe, or prohibitively unprivate? I'm comfortable sleeping that way in a tent in the desert, but that's not exactly the same as Tokyo.
Some of them do have their own AC, though, that’s what I wanted. Just piped in through a vent.
As for keeping things open, there’s just a curtain, but it still gets warm in there. I had the curtain open for the last half of the night.
I’m actually quite cozy in the capsules when the temp is alright. I’m sure based on what you’ve said that you’d be just fine too and might enjoy it!
oh, I've heard much about them!
we have some programs on TV about such hotes, it was so fresh and strange for our people! but many of them would like to try!
are they popular? Japanese outlook is so unique, something alike can't appear somewhere in Russia, for example, Japan is a fountain of extraordinary ideas for us-)
I've heard much about Sleeping capsules as well. As far as I remember they're in Japan too, right?
People can pay and rest there in absolute silence. People say they can sleep just an hour there, but it can be equal to 8-hours sleeping.
Yeah, capsule hotels are pretty common, especially in bigger cities/business areas.
I’m not familiar with sleeping capsules. Sounds amazing, though! I’ll check it out!
like this-)
Wow! Gotta try it!
waiting for a feedback-)
Great to learn about the capsule hotel - never seen this before. Looks like a fun experience, hopefully next time you will get a well air conditioned space. If I ever visit Tokyo I would stay in one of those :)
If you’re ever in Tokyo or Japan in general, lemme know!
Yeah man, the experience is pretty neat, and the relaxation of the bath is second to none.
Do you know how comes tattoos are not allowed in public baths?
I always thought they were traditional in Japan
Yeah, they are traditional, but their history is associated strongly with the Yakuza (Japanese mafia). That’s why many places still don’t allow them.
Ok, I didn't expect that.
Thank you :)
I'm not planning to go to Japan in the immediate future, but I think it's fascinating and interesting, so I really enjoyed your story
Hello.I've met you.
Steemit Japanese meetup.
I sat next to you!
Hey!! I remember! Geat to connect here! Looking forward to following your blog now!
Moving forward in technology, Japan is really a surprise. Well, I did not know that there is something in this world called Capsule Hotel. Thank you for sharing this .
By comparison, how much would a dingy hostel, or a really cheap hotel be there..? (roughly in the same vicinity?)
Usually 60 to 80 USD.
ok, cheers!
Fun place to stay, unless you are clastrofobic.
"The worst part of my stay this time was that there was no AC in the capsule!"
Did you at least have a fan?
Yeah, each capsule has a built-in fan, by it was pretty weak.
Neat! Never heard of a capsule hotel before. I would've been so hot. It's hard for me to fall asleep like that. What's the price comparison between this type & a regular hotel?
nice travel