Where to Stay - Tokyo - page 115

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Capsule Hotels

There's another inexpensive lodging option in Tokyo, but it's not for the claustro-
phobic. So-called capsule hotels, which became popular in the early 1980s, are
used primarily by Japanese businessmen who have spent an evening out drink-
ing with fellow workers and missed the last train—a capsule hotel can be
cheaper than a taxi ride home. They're located mostly near nightlife districts or
major train stations. Sleeping units are small (no larger than a coffin) yet contain
a bed and often a private TV, alarm clock, and radio; the units are usually stacked
two deep in rows down a corridor, and the only thing separating you from your
probably inebriated neighbor is a curtain. A cotton kimono and locker are pro-
vided, and facilities usually include public baths, sauna, and vending machines
selling everything from beer to instant noodles to toothbrushes.
Most capsule hotels do not accept women. Two that do, with separate facili-
ties for the sexes, are 1 Hotel Asakusa & Capsule, 4-14-9 Kotobuki, Taito-ku
( & 03/3847-4477, but no English is spoken and no reservations are accepted;
station: Tawaramachi, 3 min.), which is located about a 6-minute walk south of
Asakusa's Sensoji Temple; and Ace Inn, 5-2 Katamachi, Shinjuku-ku ( & 03/3350-
6655; www.ace-inn.jp; station: Akebonobashi, 1 min.), which caters mostly to
backpacking foreigners with bare-bone capsules (no TV or radio here), plus a
commons room, free Wi-Fi on most floors, a computer you can use for free for 30
minutes, and coin-operated showers and laundry facilities; note that the front
doors are locked from 2 to 4:30am. Hotel Asakusa & Capsule starts at ¥2,400,
while Ace Inn starts at ¥3,150. Otherwise, prices for most capsule inns average
about ¥4,000 per night; credit cards are usually not accepted. Check-in is gener-
ally 4 or 5pm, and check-out is about 9:30 or 10am. Because everyone has to
pack up and vacate cubicles during the day (coin lockers are generally available
but may not be large enough for a big suitcase), curious foreigners may wish to
experience a capsule hotel only as a 1-night stand. An even cheaper alternative if
you're suddenly in need of a place to spend the night: springing for a night pack-
age on a private cubicle in an Internet/ manga cafe.

5

1-30-10 Asakusa, Tokyo 111-0032. & 03/3843-2681. Fax [phone]. www.f-kamogawa.jp. 13 units
(8 with bathroom). ¥6,400 single without bathroom, ¥6,800-¥8,200 single with bathroom; ¥12,600-
¥13,000 double without bathroom, ¥12,800-¥14,600 double with bathroom; ¥19,200 triple without
bathroom, ¥21,300 triple with bathroom. Rates include coffee and toast. Japanese breakfast ¥1,000 extra.
Japanese dinner ¥4,000 extra (reservations required). AE, DC, MC, V. Station: Asakusa (3 min.). Amenities:
Coffee shop. In room: A/C, TV, fridge, hair dryer (in rooms w/bathroom).
Sakura Ryokan A member of the Japanese Inn and Welcome Inn groups, this
family-run establishment, in a nondescript concrete building, is a combination business-
tourist hotel and caters to both Japanese and foreign guests. It's located in Asakusa just
northwest of the Kappabashi Dori and Kototoi Dori intersection, about a 12-minute walk
from Sensoji Temple. The reception area, along with a computer you can use for free, is on
the second floor, and the friendly owner speaks some English. Each spotless room comes
with a sink and an alarm clock. Both Western- and Japanese-style units are available with
or without private bathroom. The single rooms are quite spacious compared to those in