Travel in a Coffin!

Object looks bigger than it is...

So many people who have heard of the busy city of Tokyo will hear of strange bars, cafes and hotels.  Something that is popular with the travelling businessman is the capsule hotel.  The image people have is a small, stuffy, box like a coffin where they shove humans.  However, I stayed in a few capsule hotels during my travel in Japan and I enjoyed the experience. 

Imagine a shower stall at your local YMCA or a Port-o-potty. Now knock it over. That is about the size of a capsule. And there is usually a long corridor with these capsules lined up. There is also a capsule above you so its almost like bunk beds.  The interior is that plastic/PVC material and there is a small futon as a mattress.  Above you on the "ceiling" is a small TV with a couple of local channels and a 10 second preview for an adult film. You need to insert coins I guess for it to unlock the channel.  Next to you against the wall is a ledge where you can put your watch or wallet. It also has an alarm clock, light switches, heating/cooling switches and a radio. Not bad!

Now if there was a full on door, I am sure most people would pass out or die from the lack of air. So instead there is a blind that rolls down for privacy. Laying there knowing I wasn't trapped and could simply open the blind I felt much more calm than I expected to feel. And since all my luggage was in the locker provided I felt free from worry.  The communal shower room was pretty clean and had an onsen (jacuzzi) and the lobby had a nice cafeteria with cheap but delicious food.

The price wasn't bad at all. The capsule I stayed at was in the heart of Tokyo, next to the train station and only cost me about 2500 yen.  I would definitely stay there again.  Usually capsule hotels are only for men but this hotel had different floors so women were on a separate floor. 

If you would rather spend money on sightseeing and the awesome food Japan has to offer and don't really care about where you sleep as long as its comfortable and safe then I highly recommend a capsule hotel. Plus its a good story to tell all your friends who have never been to Japan.  "I stayed in a coffin size box called a capsule hotel in Tokyo!" . Only in Japan...