Capsule hotels are unique to Japan. Their intended market is traditionally weary salarymen who just need a cheap and easy place to sleep, however the appeal stretches further. I have always been intrigued and so could not pass up the opportunity. A lot of them are getting quite dated now but Kyoto has the sleek and modern 9 Hours (so called because you need one hour to clean yourself, one hour to rest, and seven hours to sleep). The concept is extremely simple. You arrive, put your belongings in a locker, and get provided with everything you will need for the night (toothbrush, towel, pyjamas etc.). The pods are in dark, silent, windowless rooms (with men and women on separate floors) and are about the size of a single bed, slightly wider than you might expect with a shutter at the end. Panasonic have provided a state of the art lighting alarm system to get you to sleep, and up again, gradually (although in practice it was more like someone shining a bright torch in your face at 7.30am).
The reality is that it isn't very comfortable and is not that different to sleeping in a dormitory. Snoring reverberates through the pods and people (mainly tourists) don't observe the no phones rule. The ability to get seven hours sleep is highly presumptuous. Claustrophobics also stay away, the reflective plastic coffin feels like just that. Capsules hotels like this are certainly a vision of the future, with large amounts of people crammed into a small amount of space. And it most certainly looks and feels futuristic, with a couple of hundred people wearing matching black suits walking around a stark white building, willingly climbing into pods ready for their long sleep across the galaxy.. Comments are closed.
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AuthorsRob & Charlie's travelling adventures on their long journey back to London after living in Hong Kong. Four continents, twelve countries, lots of experiences. Archives
July 2017
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Robert Ware & Charlotte Nunn |