Squeezing into a capsule hotel room in Japan

"At 5 foot 10 and 175 pounds (about 1.8 meters tall and 70 kilograms), I am almost exactly average size for an American. But in Japan, I felt oafishly big"

I think the author thinks a little bit too good about himself. I'm 5 foot 10 and only feel average size here in terms of height.

Some capsule hotels are ok, while others are worst.

My advice is that you avoid capsule hotels in summer. The warm air gets stuck in your capsule, and the AC wind doesn't circulate in it.

When you put up at a capsule inn, just say to yourself, "Well, I'm just sleeping here. I can spend my money on better things and enjoy them tomorrow, can't I?"

If you want to watch err... umm, movies, in the capsule, you have to drop coins into the slot which makes a jingling noise through the whole place. You will hear this jingle every other minute or two and it gets very annoying very quickly.

Definitely on my list of things to do here in Japan. I did a quick search and most "capsules" are 2 meters long, 90 cm wide, and 110 cm high. 5 foot 10 inches is 178 cm, so the writer would have had a good 20 cm to spare. By the way, 175 pounds is 80 kg, not 70!

Not only is the authors metric conversion a little off, so are his understandings of the average American. 70kg? Try 110kg

Tomorrow's article will introduce us to pachinko. Next day's will be the crowded Tokyo subways. Oh, those Japanese! ;-)

Not only is the authors metric conversion a little off, so are his understandings of the average American. 70kg? Try 110kg

Try 81kg. That's a fact, not a malicious mischaracterization.

Uggggggggggh ! ...........................................Like sleeping in an incubator !

This is really nostalgic -- I first read about these in the early 1980s. Aside from claustrophobia, the biggest downside is that men and women can't sleep on the same floor, since there's very little in the way of security.

Yeah this is a definite do. Having said that, I've only done it twice, and the second time was only because my brother wanted to stay in one. And so, I like to equate capsule hotels with Mount Fuji - only a fool climbs up twice! Nah I don't really believe that, I've just had too much coffee.

I'd also like to add that if you're looking for cheap accomodation in Tokyo, there are a few hotels in MinamiSenju (one of which you can see from nearly every room Tokyo Sky Tree not too far away and very clearly) with a nightly rate of a little over 3,000 yen that have private three-mat tatami rooms with fridge, tv, aircon and net access. Three tatami mats is still very small especially if you have luggage, but it's better than the coffins in this story in my opinion.

Love hotels are better - it's not a sausage fest like the author here reports - you can take girls in!

Oh dear......this looks like kennels. Aren't we better than that?

I wouldn't want to be in one when a quake hits...

Wikipedia says average US man is 88kg, but that data is a few years old (meaning the current value is higher).

I'm from the US, and nearly the exact height/weight as the writer (5`10"/175lbs), and in no way do I sense that I'm taller than Japanese people in general. I see many local men and women as tall as, or taller than me, thus, I feel quite average in height, although I do feel a few kilos heavier.

5'10" is 178cm, so there should be plenty of room for you.

I stayed in one once - there was plenty of room inside the capsule and I realised that most of the space you pay for in a hotel is a waste of money.

You know, a single room at a business hotel in Shitamachi doesn't cost much more than what you pay for a capsule space in the Yamanote from my experience.

Get arrested for something...you get a bigger room and its free.

Sleep at McDonalds. That hit up an internet cafe. In the summer months, I just get drunk and sleep in parks.

I've never stayed in a capsule hotel, but I don't think it would bother me all that much; I'm quite used to "roughing it" in far less salubrious accommodation - I'm sure they beat the heck out of sleeping on a friend’s couch.

As for the bathing arrangements; I loved the first Sento I ever went to and went back every night I was in the area (which was often). As a Kiwi, I have less of a problem with being publically nude than I most Americans of my acquaintance, so stripping in front of others is no problem for me. I just wish there was a public bathhouse in my current locale (sadly, not).

I’ll have to try a capsule hotel next time I’m in Tokyo.

They are just mass-fapping stations for drunk salary men.

I think they are awesome! I stayed in a couple... Osaka and Tokyo. DA BOMB!!! Probably mostly becuase my night consisted of Yakitori stand, beer, bar, ChuHi, more yakitori... more beer... girl didn't wanted to go home... Love Hotel... girl went home, need another place to sleep....--->CAPSULE HOTEL!

@hiroicci, absolutely, I avoid these in summer, though other months aren't so bad. They're kind of fun.

Capsule hotels are miserable. If you get bladdered and miss the last train, better to bite the bullet and pay for a cab.