Capsule hotels sprang up in Japan in the late ‘70s to cater for businessmen who worked too late or drank too much to make the long commute home. The first capsule hotel opened its doors in 1979 in the city of Osaka. And in view of high rent prices, the cost of spending the night in a regular hotel, and overcrowding in large cities, capsule hotels fill a cost-saving niche in the Japanese market. The simple bed-in-a-box concept has blossomed into a booming business model.
Companies around the world are beginning to see the importance of scaling down and conserving energy - so perhaps they could find some inspiration in these 15 incredible Japanese capsule hotels.
15. Capsule Hotel and Sauna Ikebukuro Plaza - Tokyo
The Capsule Hotel and Sauna Ikebukuro Plaza is located a mere five minutes from Tokyo’s Ikebukuro Station. The hotel offers Chinese-style massages and has 180 capsule rooms plus a Finnish sauna - complete with TV.
Some non-natives have dubbed capsule hotels “claustrophobic,” even comparing them to collections of coffins or the shelves of a mortuary. However, they are simple, utilitarian, and surprisingly comfortable - that is, for those measuring six foot or less. And of course, for many Westerners at least, they also offer an entirely unique hotel experience. [More] [Video]
14. Capsule Hotel Shinjuku 510 - Tokyo
Capsule Hotel Shinjuku 510 is also located in Tokyo, close to Shinjuku Station in the Kabukichō red light district. Noon checkout times make this a prime location for partygoers recovering from the night before. Unusually, this hotel also has a floor for women. Many are exclusively for men; for one, the capsules provide minimum privacy, and bathrooms are shared.
Videographer Mikey Trotter compares sleeping in a capsule to the bunk beds of a spaceship or a “plastic womb,” adding, “[It] was one of the best traveling experiences I’ve ever had.” [More]
13. Nine Hours Kyoto Teramachi - Kyoto
The Nine Hours Capsule Hotel in Kyoto is innovative and sleek, marked out by its quirky interior design and ambient LED lighting. While foreign guests might experience a certain degree of uncertainty about what to do and how to act when staying at a capsule hotel, Nine Hours uses fancy visual maps that allow the environments to be “read” and understood by any guest. The hotel is spread over nine stories, with four floors and a private lounge for women, four floors for men, a public lounge, and 125 capsules in all. [More] [9 Hours Kyoto Teramachi website]
12. Capsule Inn Sapporo - Hokkaidō
Located on the island of Hokkaidō, Capsule Inn Sapporo is male only, but its unique location is a plus for tourists. It’s a stone’s throw from the entertainment district and close to Hokkaidō’s famous thermal baths and ski slopes.
With entrepreneurs in the hotel sector focusing on discovering new niches, taking risks, and using innovation and unusual designs to stand out in a crowded market, perhaps capsule hotels could be the next cutting-edge concept in the industry worldwide. After all, as Inspirationfeed.com reminds us, “Today, the top hotels are fresh and unique.” [More]
11. New Japan Sauna and Capsule Hotel - Osaka
Although it might look a bit like a washing machine, this is one of the capsules in the men-only New Japan Sauna and Capsule Hotel in Osaka, located in the Kita-Ku ward of the city. Privacy is provided by a pull-down shade, and the capsule includes a TV and radio. The hotel also has a pool and sauna on the ground floor as well as a shared bathroom.
According to traveller Paul from Sydney, the capsule is constantly filled with air, which drowns out any other noises and helps aid a peaceful night’s sleep. “[It’s] something to try at least once if you visit Japan,” he says.
10. Capsule Hotel Asakusa Riverside - Tokyo
The Hotel Asakusa Riverside in Tokyo has efficiently packed 140 capsules within its walls, and the establishment features a floor for women and a separate communal bath area. The hotel is also just a short walk from Asakusa train station. One Canadian guest says of the hotel, “The capsule itself is surprisingly spacious. It has a TV, radio, and alarm, but nowhere to plug in your phone or iPod.”
Weirdandwonderfulhotels.com describes Japanese capsule hotels as “a uniquely Japanese experience…inspired by the pursuit of efficiency of space and functional comfort.” And such qualities apparently aren’t bad for business! [More]
9. Capsule Hotel Kobe Sannomiya - Kobe
Located in Kobe, Japan’s fifth-largest city, Capsule Hotel Kobe Sannomiya boasts that its guests will enjoy “healing” sleep. The capsules are fitted with lighting controls, air conditioning, alarm clocks, TVs, and radios. Guests can also enjoy a hot bath, sauna, an internet-equipped relaxation room, and a library of Japanese manga.
While capsule hotels are lauded as an ingenious use of space and are incredibly popular in Japan, exporting the idea to other countries, particularly the US, has proved to be something of a hard sell. [More]
8. Green Plaza Shinjuku Capsule Hotel - Tokyo
With 630 capsules, Green Plaza Shinjuku, located in Tokyo’s Kabukichō district, is one of the largest hotels of its kind. This men-only facility includes such amenities as free Internet, a Jacuzzi, a rooftop hot tub, a business centre, and a relaxation room.
Although such luxurious add-ons may seem at odds with the small-scale sleeping space available, Australian Design Review says that this is at the heart of what makes the capsule hotel a success: it has “evolved to both make service as efficient as possible and provide the most amenities within its limited spaces.” [More]
7. Capsule Hotel Asahi Plaza - Osaka
Marketed as a hotel for “energetic businessmen” who like to work and play hard, Osaka’s Capsule Hotel Asahi Plaza boasts competitive rates and lots of amenities. Gaming and vending machines, a coin-operated laundry and handy “toilet kits” are there to meet the needs of Japanese executives, who are often required to work late or attend after-hours functions. [More]
6. Capsule Inn Akihabara - Tokyo
Capsule Inn Akihabara in Tokyo had the dubious honour of hosting An Idiot Abroad star Karl Pilkington, who failed to get a decent night’s sleep in the Mount Fuji episode of the comedy travel TV show. If you’re a fan, he slept in capsule 318.
The newest capsule hotels are expanding on the original concept and adding a slightly different vibe. New York Times writer Tim Hornyak stayed at Kyoto’s Capsule Ryokan in 2011, which features rice paper screens and woven reed mats. Owner Keiji Shimizu incorporated elements from a traditional Japanese inn (ryokan) by adding tatami reed mats, futons, and hotel staff wearing kimonos. [More]
5. Capsule Land Kanda - Tokyo
Capsule Land Kanda is located in Tokyo’s Bunkyō area, near the Tokyo Dome and the University of Tokyo. Because capsule hotels offer some of the cheapest accommodation in Japan, many of them are beginning to acquire long-term residents. CNN reports that due to the cost of housing, Japanese white-collar workers who lose their jobs may quickly plunge into poverty. And these people can end up sleeping in capsule hotels while they look for work, sometimes for weeks or even months at a stretch. [More]
4. Capsule and Sauna New Japan EX - Hiroshima
Capsule and Sauna New Japan in Hiroshima offers Thai massages, salt and oil treatments, a pool, and a sauna, in addition to their basic capsules. Conveniently located for businessmen and travellers alike, it’s in the heart of Hiroshima, close to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Park.
According to CNN, a jobless worker might spend anywhere from $700 to $1,000 on staying at a capsule hotel for a month, but this is “a housing bargain in Tokyo, ranked by Mercer as the world’s most expensive city.” As the Sri Lanka Sunday Times puts it, “[S]pace is at a serious premium in Japan,” leading to the need for “space economy” - and so the idea of the capsule hotel was born. [More]
3. Hotel Kawase - Tokyo
While businessmen in other countries may not face the same spatial limitations as the Japanese, much can be learned from capsule hotels like Tokyo’s Hotel Kawase. When UK entrepreneur Simon Woodroffe upgraded to a first-class cabin on a British Airways flight, he realized just how luxurious small spaces could be. Woodroffe paired up with Gerard Greene to create the YOtel brand, and although their cabin rooms are bigger than the Japanese designs, they allow YOtels to house a greater number of people in smaller spaces for less, right in the centre of busy cities like New York, London and Amsterdam. [More]
2. Capsule Inn Nagoya - Nagoya
This capsule hotel, which is also a male-only establishment, states that it is Nagoya’s largest hotel of its kind, with a location ideal for both businessmen and sightseers.
Although, as in the case of YOtel, some changes to the basic concept may be needed to appeal to Western travellers, businessman Eric Wong took the capsule hotel idea to Hong Kong with few alterations. Wong aimed to target tourists, who are hard-pressed to find decent accommodation during peak seasons. He also hopes to attract students by creating capsule dormitories, and eventually to have capsule hotels dotted throughout mainland China, particularly at train stations. [More]
1. Hotel New Gyominso - Tokyo
Hotel New Gyominso, in Asakusa, Tokyo, says that its location is one-of-a-kind, “set among streets overflowing with the nostalgic feel of old Japan.” The “sky bath” allows guests to relax with a great view of the Sumida River. Here, men and women are both welcome - and free to enjoy the karaoke pub. What’s more, those not keen on staying in a capsule can choose a Western- or Japanese-style room instead. Unlike some other dedicated capsule hotels, New Gyominso has a restaurant that serves authentic Tokyo cuisine and carefully prepared soba noodles. It sounds like an appetizing enterprise. [More]
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I was amazed with this blog and my favorite is that Capsule hotel Shinjuku 510. Hope to visit Japan soon. Big thanks for sharing this with us.
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