Japanese hotels offer tight space for a tight budget

No doors or locks on these pods is worrisome.

sillygirl, that's why they have lockers available. If you don't feel safe you can always store your important stuff there.

@Sillygirl Have you never stayed in a youth hostel? This set up is quite similar. And I am sure they provide lockers to store valuables.

Sillygirl is not worried about mere possessions". Personal safety.

Strong Yen Week Yen.....the writer should decide before writing the story which direction to take it from.

So a high class tatami room that can fit four is at ¥5000 per person. Well, what if only one person wanted to stay there? ¥5000? I do not think so. Typical onsen pay scale which is a rip off. Rent the room please...not charge by person.

Even a tiny double room in a hotel with limited service can set you back 30,000 yen a night in central Tokyo these days.

Business hotels like Toyoko Inn in central Tokyo will only cost you about 6,800 for a double and 5,300 for a single.

That's a nice, but small, room with enough space for you to sit down and work and a private shower.

I think silly girl is worried about the uninvited pervert. No shortage of them and when drunk it's worse.

these pods are crap, plenty of small business hotel private/locked rooms available when I last checked as frungy said. less than 5~8,000yen night

I actually quite enjoy staying in capsule hotels. To me a hotel is a place to sleep, and thats it. When i am on holiday i dont want to spend time in a hotel, i want to be out exploring. And even if i do feel like chilling out, the capsule hotels usually have a very extensive lounge/relaxation area + hotspring or large bath area.

As for SillyGirl's concerns, this is why virtually all capsule hotels do not allow females, or if they do, its on a separate girls-only floor not accessible by men.

I got startled a little when I found a woman sitting in the upper left compartment...

If you really want to stretch that yen,go al fresco! A good size refridgerater box, a spot by the river & you're good to go. there are many public bath houses & at the end of the day the supermarkets knock the price of a nice dinner down by 50 percent! These Pods are like a hell on earth in my opinion!

Kimi Ryokan is a good choice and many of my friends and family stuff there over the last 16yrs, many other similar places around.

You can get some decent business hotels from around 8.000/night most are around the stations.

Many salary-man also often spend a night at a love hotel as it is cheaper than a business hotel with a bigger room and bathroom.

Sakura hotels are also pretty cheap.

Coffin hotels, traveler/backpacker places are from 3000 onwards but shared rooms and resources.

And even if i do feel like chilling out, the capsule hotels usually have a very extensive lounge/relaxation area + hotspring or large bath area.

Of course everyone wants to go out and explore. Westerners always do this. I don't know any westerners who holiday and spend much of their time @ the hotel. It's okay to spend extra cash on a normal room & board (including private bath) rather than succumb to claustrophobia.

I don't know any westerners who holiday and spend much of their time @ the hotel.

I do. I only stay in suites nowadays. I like to relax in the room when I get tired after going out for a while, and I like a nice hotel in which to relax. In fact, the nice hotel room is the main thing I look forward to on my travels.

How many people here commenting on it being "Hell on earth" etc have actually stayed in a Capsule Hotel? Dont knock it until you try it comes to mind - first time i stayed in one it was purely out of trying to save money, but i had a great time (made friends in the lounge), and the bed was much more comfortable/spacious than i had imagined.

Plus for all of the complaints about how bad salarymen in Japan smell, it was a heck of a lot better than staying in a youth hostel dormitory!!!

Okay for lonely planet wanderers or drunk salarymen, but give me a proper hotel room anyday... I like my comfort and a locking door, private washlet and a BIG bed... nice.

Business hotel chains like Toyoko Inn, Route Inn, and APA Hotel are actually quite convenient, as many are located near major train stations. Sure, the rooms are small, but at least your have your own room with its own private bathroom, something many non-Japanese appreciate. Small wonder why they're building new ones as fast as they can all over Japan.

Unless you're willing to put up with a somewhat communal experience that many non-Japanese are not used to, I kind of don't recommend the hotels recommended in this article.

These types of hotels are great if you want to explore the city. I stayed in one for a week, it's not for everyone as you are not using the hotel as a place of relaxation but place to rest your head at night.