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!)