m8888888's Blog

I'd heard a lot about capsule hotels, and I was dying to stay in one when I went to Japan. I finally got the chance last year, and stayed in one in Fukuoka. There aren't very many that take women travelers; most of them are strictly for men. But I found one that had a floor for women. I went to check in, and you take your shoes off in the lobby, and get a locker to keep them in. No shoes inside! There were about three floors for men, and one for women, plus a bathing floor for women and one for men. They had a strict policy about no tattoos, which I guess is because the mob in Japan are about the only ones with tattoos. They didn't check or anything, so I think if you have a hidden one, it should be fine! I got my capsul number, and went to check it out!

The hallway was filled with two layers of capsules, one on top of the other. They were about 7 feet deep and 3 feet wide. Inside, there's just a bed, an alarm clock, and a small tv that folds down from the ceiling. There was no door on my capsule, just a curtain I could pull closed to block out the light. There's a strict silence policy so that you don't disturb your neighbors. I didn't have to worry, because it seemed there were only about five women on the floor, and probably about 50 empty capsules. There was a communal toilet on one end of the floor. I was actually sick, so I ended up sleeping for about 16 hours straight, and I can tell you that the capsule was very comfy!

I woke up the next morning feeling better, and went to the bathing room. There were individual showers, but everything was in the open, so it's not for shy people! You sat down to use the shower, and shampoo, soap, and everything was supplied. Then, you could go in the sauna for awhile, and then relax in a big jacuzzi hottub. It was so nice! They had massages available at the hotel, too, for an extra cost. 

The capsule hotel was so fun! It seems like something that is so uniquely Japanese, too. I forgot to take any pictures of my capsule, since I was sick, so I'll just have to go back again!