A few days ago we’ve found an interesting post from a man, who has been to a Japanese capsule hotel, where he tells about his rather strange impression from visiting the hotel.

We’ve thought that just a post is good, but a post with comments is much better ;)    

I haven’t been planning a trip to Japan, it happened rather spontaneously. I’ve started looking for a hotel on booking web-sites an hour before the take off and I’ve found out Tokyo hotels being 98% busy! That’s because of  Japanese cherry tree, blossoming at the beginning of April. So, there were two variants of placing: very expensive and very cheap.

Without thinking twice, I’ve rented a capsule about 2 m2 and flew to Tokyo.

1. With no problems I’ve found this fantastic red building with bright red signboard. It attracts me so much…
2. Just a usual entrance into a cheap hotel.
3. Though both of this lifts work, the system is rather complicated. You can get only to the 6th floor with the help of the right elevator: there the reception is situated, there you are to take off your shoes and leave them in the box, and only after this you can use the left lift to move between the 2nd and the 6th floor.
    No lifts – everything is situated on one floor, so you don’t have to search where is what and why.
    4. From the picture you can see that people with tattoos and handmade paper hats are not allowed to stay at the hotel.
      Your tattoos and preferred hat type is your private affair ;)  
      5. There is a sauna in the hotel and 3 almost naked Japanese men passed nearby while I was waiting for the registration. Taking photoes seems to be forbidden, but that never stopped me.
         In our case, the registration at the reception desk is not particularly necessary, as you register directly from your smart phone (but if you have questions or difficulty – a reception, yet provided). Taking photos is not prohibited ;) Rather the opposite ;) 
        6. You can’t take your luggage to the room and there is no special place for it – so it is to be left behind the reception.
          Your bags can be put in wardrobes for luggage, which are right next to the capsules.
          7. I was given a key form my number (as I thought) and i came to the 4th floor with no shoes on. The room key  turned out to be a key from the microscopic locker. In the locker was a towel and bathrobe. My backpack with a camera and a laptop was too big for the locker – I had to take it to my “number”.
            No keys, seriously. You have a code to access the hotel. You have a code to open your locker for luggage. This code can be changed from your smartphone. Formally your smartphone – is your key :)  But if something happened to the smartphone – that’s not a problem: the hotel always has a person at the reception desk.
            8. This is a common washroom for everyone who lives on my floor. It seems to be clean and friendly, and – most important – not crowded yet.
            It’s too Japanese, we still prefer to wash separately.
            9. Toilet -male only. Forgot to say: the hotel is only for men.
            We accept guests of either sex.
            10. Throughout Japan saling drinks from vending machines is popular. And of course there are 3-4 machines on each floor of the hotel. Interestingly, some drinks fall out of such devices in a heated state.
            We have machines not only with drinks, but with food either.
            11. No more glamor! That’s how accommodations look like. Immediately reminded air transportation for animals.
            And that’s how we are planning to look like:
            12. So, this is a capsule: climb up the stairs, as in the reserved seat.
            13. Home, sweet home! Bed, table, chair? yeah-yeah-yeah, of course.
            14. View from the inside. You can see all passing by legs.
              And such a nice capsule:
              15. Multimedia system in the capsule. Here you can find a watch and set the alarm to connect headphones or charging. I should have read, that Japan has not a 220-volt power supply, while in Russia. None of my neighbors have headphones, the entire corridor is listening different TV programs from different capsules. In the morning alarm clock scream like car alarm, starting at approximately 6.30.
                We provide outlets for charging your devices (and adapter, if necessary), RJ45 connector with your normal 100mb internet, and any wires (like chargers and headphones) can be purchased when reserving capsules. Entire corridor can listen to any television program, but using headphones is obligatory. The benefit is they are included in the cost.
                16. Apartments are equipped with a mirror.
                17.Let’s try to get some sleep. Door of my room is a bamboo netting that separates the capsule from the outside world. It transmits light, smell, sound and… thieves. That’s why it is recommended to leave nothing in the capsule.
                18. Here is my favorite photo! I flew to Tokyo from Oslo, overcoming barriers of time: the body continued to live in Oslo time – and this is a minus 7 hours, comparing to Tokyo. The first night in Tokyo I managed to fall sleep only at 8 o’clock in the morning, because in Oslo I usually went to bed after midnight. I’ve rented the capsule for 3 days and hoped to have a normal sleep for three nights. But exactly at 10 was the cleaner wakes me:  it turned out that everyone should release all rooms until 10.00 am for cleaning.
                  No checkout! Our system is targeted to provide a comfortable stay. You can leave at any time comfortable for you, we’ll try to fit you!
                  19. Only after that I’ve seen a tablet with rules.
                    No recheck-in! Your capsule will remain yours until you decide to change it.
                    20. Okay, could not sleep, let’s go to bath. And then another surprise. The process of washing looks exactly as shown on the photo. No showers in the usual sense, the Japanese sit in a circle on stools and wash themselves from basins. I had no other choice then to sit down too…
                      5 normal European showers at your service.
                      21. One more photo from the ‘bathroom’. Nothing to do: privacy in a capsule hotel does not exist – neither in the room nor in the shower.
                        Everything is done for your personal space staying yours.
                        22. Dry the hair after bathing.
                        23. Most of the people left before 10am. But even at 10 am there is a  queue at the reception – people pass the keys to the lockers. By the number of boxes for shoes, you can realize how many potential guests can be placed here.
                        24. Great hotel logo: it shows exactly my first impression.
                        Cons:

                        1. It is impossible to eat, sleep, bathe and live in general in the hotel.

                        2. There is practically no ventilation system in the capsule. Well, the “door” – is just a name. At night you hear everything, including what an average Japanese does before bedtime.

                        3. I have an unusual feature – I love wearing clean clothes every day. But the hotel rules forced me to climb to the reception to my suitcase 5 times a day to take/put something.
                          Your stuff is always in the box next to your capsule.
                          4. Room is relatively expensive: 4000 yen or 1450 rubles per night, for actually 2 hours of sleep, as it was on my first day.
                            20 euros (1,000 rubles) per day or 3 euros (150 rubles) per hour.
                            Pros:  

                            The hotel logo is cool)))

                            Review is taken fron here