The Japan Files ~ Gateway to Sleepytown

Imagine this.

A night out on the town with your mates. You just got off work on a Friday or you're dolled up to the nines on a Saturday. The pre-drinks. The bar hopping. The club stomping. The midway beers and after "shots". And by about three o clock in the morning, although you're exceedingly happy, you are absolutely, completely trashed. But the only way you're getting home really is a taxi. And we all know that cab prices double come the early morning. So you're stuck on the street somewhere dying in your heels or freezing your bollocks off as you wait for the first train. And maybe you feel it. And maybe you don't. But not only are you drunk, you're also exhausted. So what do you do? 

Well, in England, you'd stick it out - biting cold and all; stiff upper lip. But in Japan? Well, you've certainly got a bit more variety to keep you warm after a drunk-filled evening. So allow me to introduce the many ways in which you can find yourself some sort of bed in the land of the rising sun.

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Hotel

We have these almost anywhere. And you might have to shell out a bit of money depending on where you are -cough- Roppongi -cough- but you're definitely guaranteed a bit of luxury if you opt to stay at a hotel. Some come with kimono and slippers - potentially the Japanese equivalent to indoor wear so you can get comfortable. No need to worry about shampoo or toothpaste because in addition to towels, that's usually provided too. And what's better than actually sleeping in an actual bed? I very rarely get this luxury these days. What's better still however is that you're actually divided by walls so providing the person in the next room doesn't sound off like a foghorn, you're guaranteed a relatively peaceful and uninterrupted sleep at least until the 11am check-out.

Capsule Hotel

Brilliant if you're a man. There are some capsule hotels about that do cater to women however - (and couples apparently). Things are changing these days (even I managed to stay in one). A little bit cheaper than a typical hotel because all those little luxuries I mentioned above are pretty non-existent and you're pretty much sharing space with around thirty to fifty other people. You're allocated a locker for your belongings before making your way to the morge-style booths that are stacked next to and above each other in two storey fashion. The only real privacy you get is separated by a curtain usually. Check-out time is typically even earlier at 10am because staff need to clean in preparation for the next set of guests. But a good place to crash temporarily after a night out. Heck, you won't even notice the snoring if you've drunk enough.

Manga Cafe

Even cheaper still, the manga cafe or mangakisa is a comic book nerd's fantasy. Wall upon wall of manga, unlimited drink bar and food if you order it, and you're own personal computer-with-internet booth to enjoy it all in depending on what package you select. Some even have a shower and a ladies area for those of us who wish to be away from prying eyes. Of course, before you think about staying in one, you usually have to become a member first. Japan has a thing about loyalty after all. Then of course, there's the fact that a lot of manga cafes allow smoking and even if they have non-smoking areas, there's always going to be some crossover. The one I stayed at offered darts, billards and karaoke as extras but all I wanted to do was crash. Then there's the incessant clicking if you're a light sleeper. An 8 hour package was not enough in my opinion but if you're only going to stay until first light, then it's no problem

Karaoke Booth

I have very fond memories of singing karaoke into the night and then leaving and passing by the room next door only to see a gang of about six guys completely flaked out on the sofas. I smirked at the time but I look back now and think to myself, why not. Karaoke bars usually offer a "freetime" package during their least popular hours - usually either in the middle of the day or in this case, the early hours of the morning. This means that you can karaoke all night long usually from around 11pm to 6am all for one price. And of course, you're drunk. All night karaoke is going to seem like a viable possibility. But evidently, you will lose your voice and you will fall asleep, but at least you won't be waiting outside in the cold.

Train

Picture courtesy of jprail.com

There are so many stories about Japanese people flaking out on trains after an evening of hard liquor (or even just hard work). People so drunk that they sprawl out across three or four seats, suspend themselves from the hand rails swaying side to side, or sometimes using their fellow commuters as a pillow. But in some cases, there are actual trains that are designed to accommodate sleepers as their travel from one part of the country to the next. Creatively called "Sleeper Trains", these trains offer bedtime accommodation for the overnight traveler so as a tourist, you can travel from one part of Japan to another without actually losing a day. Of course, it doesn't come cheap and some in-carriage areas are a lot less luxurious than others. You definitely get what you pay for, but it is definitely an experience and if you're already drunk, luxury won't really matter to you. Just don't miss it obviously.

Floor

I'm starting to think that this is some sort of rite of passage for Japanese salarymen. To get so drunk that you simply end up rock bottom...literally. And I have seen it all - an old businessman completely knocked out in the middle of a train carriage. A young twenty-something rather uncomfortably conked out in a bush. A middle-aged commuter who decided that the park bench would be the safest bet. I've yet to see a foreigner end up in this predicament but I'm sure it has happened. Because come Friday or Saturday night, people just seem to wind up anywhere. And Japan is safer than most places, it really is. But even I wouldn't want to wake up in the middle of Tokyo somewhere wondering exactly what happened to me the night before.

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So seriously folks, take note of all that opportunity. In England, it's either cab or bust for most people but in Japan, you've certainly got a lot of variety. Take advantage of it.

The Capsule Hotel ~ Japan’s Answer to the Hostel

Well, it wasn’t on my to-do list but it was certainly something that I desired to experience and not even a month in, I’ve managed to have the opportunity to stay in a Capsule Hotel. Now for those in the cheap seats, a capsule hotel is a hotel designed to house those who don’t require the luxuries of a typical hotel. So all in all, there is no eating area, no en suite bathroom and no bar, lounge, night club or swimming pool. Fundamentally, the capsule hotel is exactly what is says on the tin. Your bedroom is a capsule – a small compartment in the wall amongst many other small compartments in the wall. The only thing you do in there is sleep…or watch television. I stayed at the Capsule Hotel Asahi Plaza in Shinsaibashi, Osaka and my capsule was thus below:

Capsule 430 at the Asahi Plaza

So I suspect you’re wondering why I would find such a tiny compartment rather exciting. After all, it’s nothing compared to the five star options that some of us westerners are used to. Nevertheless, while it may simply be nothing more than a hole in the wall, the fact that it’s not something that exists where I’m from makes it even more interesting to me. I’ve lived in my tiny little London bubble all my life so now that I have the opportunity to try new things, I’m taking them as they come. And as yet another Japanese invention, it was only right that I opted for a capsule hotel – even if it ends up only being once.

I wasn’t alone for the experience but upon arrival, we had to remove our shoes at the entrance and put them in lockers. After completing some paperwork, we were issued with keys and a quick run through for where everything was. First impressions were that it was quite cool. I was in ‘foreigner-fantasy’ mode where everything and anything new looks amazing. The women’s’ capsules were separate from the men’s and the first thing that hit me when stepping into the lift heading down was the heat. Now I’m a fan of heat so this was nice for me but I reckon that the high temperature was coming from the bath and shower rooms as inside them was a sauna as well. Get in. We were issued a key that permitted us entry into the women’s area and which also, served as a means for us to put away our belongings inside a locker.

Now in true Japan style, these lockers were quite narrow and I had a small suitcase, a laptop bag and a large coat with me. I managed to shove my stuff in the locker however and in return, I found a couple of towels, a sponge and a pyjama set waiting inside. Unfortunately, said pyjamas were not westerner friendly. The bottoms were like shorts on me whereas they pretty much fit to the floor on one particularly small Japanese woman. There were laundry bins all over the place however so when you were done with yours, all you had to do was toss them inside.

Now I wish I had taken a picture, but also, in the women’s’ area was a powder room. This came complete with multiple sinks, stools, face wash and moisturiser, sterilised brushes and hair dryers. I thought this was a nice touch as the day I stayed in the hotel, myself and my collective were off on a night on the town so it was nice to have a room-length mirror to get ready in.

We had to return our keys to the front desk when we left. I suspect this is quite common in Japan as I’ve stayed in a couple of hotels now and upon re-entry, we simply had to quote the number and we were issued with our keys again. I wasn’t sure initially where people got dressed so opted to get dressed in my capsule. This was a bit uncomfortable and I’d often knock the sides of the capsule because I’m obviously not a small person. I was more concerned with disturbing the prominent quiet that seemed so prevalent about the capsules. It was really warm inside however and there was a small curtain that you could pull down if you wanted to shut out light or desired your own privacy.

I never used the television as I was so tired when I got in but I noticed that inside the capsule was a built-in alarm clock which I also, thought was cool.

Be aware that you are sleeping next to other people so if they start snoring, you’ll most definitely hear it. I had to deal with this for roughly twenty minutes in addition to people shuffling around but I was so tired that I flaked out soon afterward.

I woke up before the alarm I’d set and proceeded to do my morning ritual. During this time, I discovered that most people just got changed wherever they liked. Some got changed in the locker rooms but the most common location was obviously the bathhouse. I got the Japanese bathhouse experience only the water was a little bit too hot for me. There were a lot of people about but I suspect this was because check out times were fixed at 10am and any time later would incur a fine.

It was also, indicated that people had to vacate the premises between twelve and two in the afternoon to allow time for cleaning. This didn’t affect me so much as I only stayed one night but I can understand why this might be annoying for people who want the option of sleeping in.

Overall I had a pretty positive experience. I can’t speak for all Capsule Hotels but I figure that it’s probably not the best option for couples and definitely not something you should go to if you’re claustrophobic.

Asahi Plaza was located right in the middle of a night-life hotspot so it was a good location for what we needed it for. I would therefore give this Capsule Hotel, three and a half stars out of five.

Advice? It’s better to experience it for yourself.