Japan is home to many bizarre concepts that actually make a lot of sense once you try them. Capsule hotels are a perfect example of this. The ability to change this somewhat creepy scenario to a stroke of genius is what has made these budget friendly accommodations so popular.
For a solo traveler, capsule hotels are the perfect option, combining a cheap nights stay with a unique experience, found only in Japan.
At about $50 CAD per capsule, it works out to be comparable to booking a regular hotel for couples or groups, making it a savvy investment for any type of traveler seeking something different.
As with most establishments in Japan, a difference in floor levels, such as a step up, indicates you need to remove your shoes before walking in. Unsurprisingly, this was the case upon entering the pure white lobby of a capsule hotel known as Nine Hours (9h).
Storing our shoes in the provided lockers, we are assigned our capsule number and given a bag with everything you would need for a hotel stay, including pyjamas.
The "key", given to each of us, is a piece of paper with a barcode you scan to access your locker, which conveniently, shares the same number as your capsule.
We knew coming in that men and women are not permitted to stay in the same dorm, having separate levels for each gender, so we quickly bid farewell and race off for a little "me" time. Neither of us mention the mixed gender common area where we could spend some time together... we have been together for eight straight days at this point.
I quickly realized following the arrows on the floor throughout the hotel was my map to this strange place, perfect for any language due to the helpful pictures. Pressing the button for the elevator, I see this place has thought of everything.
An elevator for women only provides extra security in keeping genders divided, stopping at every floor, where as the elevator beside skips the female dorms. A reassuring thought, knowing you will be sleeping in a doorless pod with only a pull down shade for privacy.
The first floor I go to, obviously, is to see the capsule I will call home for the night. Before I reach the door separating the elevator lobby and the sleeping pods, I notice a little bathroom right outside. Convenient for a midnight wee.
As I walk into the sleeping quarters, I find myself in the middle of a sci-fi novel, glowing pods all lined up, top and bottom, along one side of the room. Seeing a number indicating my spot on the floor, I peer in at the literal hole in the wall housing my bed.
Calming light illuminated the sterile white plastic that is to surround you, taking away all fear of feeling claustrophobic. Completing this picture with a control panel along the back (which I will find myself later, aimlessly pressing buttons to try and turn out the lights) I officially feel like an astronaut.
Accepting my fate, baggage in tow, I take the elevator to scope out the women's shower/locker room. True to the subtle white theme I was starting to detect, this room was also easy to navigate due to the arrows letting you know what's what.
I was relieved to see the showers were all separate stalls, not quite ready to make that "naked in front of a crowd" nightmare a reality, and several seats along a large mirror provided coveted personal space when getting ready.
Navigating through the room, I eventually find my locker and successfully open it using the techie barcode key, noting how little space it provides. It has become clear, from the size of the beds, to the size of your storage area, this is not somewhere they want you to be for long.
Grateful, as I have been several times while traveling throughout Japan, that I fit everything in my backpack, I effortlessly threw it in my locker. If I had anything else, I'd be sleeping with my luggage. Japan is much easier to navigate without baggage, emotional and material.
It was time to get ready for bed, grabbing my entertainment options for a long night of complete silence, I change into the black pyjamas provided, all the better to see you my dear.
Sticking out like a sore thumb, black pyjamas on stark white everything, I successfully make it back to my pod. This time, other astronauts occupied their capsules and the unspoken rule of making as little noise as possible was in full force.
I carefully scaled the rungs into my bed, every tiny rustle sounding like a flash bomb going off in a morgue. Kind of a bad analogy I suppose, seeing as we were all sleeping in numbered slots on a wall.
The difference, however, instead of being refrigerated, these capsules seemed to heat up as the night wore on. Fans from the outside are great at cooling your space when the shade is open, but as soon as you close it, your body heat gets to work, creating your very own sweat lodge.
Needless to say, between close quarters resulting in a symphony of phone alarms, snoring, and farts, as well as the sauna your bed becomes, it is a bit difficult to get a good nights rest here.
Staying in a capsule hotel is something you must do when in Japan. But keep in mind, these places were created to provide a cheap place to catch a few hours of sleep and will not provide the comfort you are used to in a traditional hotel.
The result: This is probably something you will only want to do once in your life but it's also something you will regret skipping. Being exclusive to Japan, this is part of their culture and we all know you don't travel somewhere so unique only to stay in your comfort zone.
Would you or have you ever stayed in a capsule hotel? Leave us a comment with your thoughts and feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
For more travel tips and stories, explore our blog 200degrees, you never know what you might discover.