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We stay at a downtown Shibuya capsule hotel and indulge in unlimited baths and sauna sessions

Koh Ruide Mar 22, 2018
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This male-only capsule hotel may just be the perfect stopover for your next budget trip.

Capsule hotels are a cheap and fantastic option if you’re planning to stay a night or two in metropolitan Tokyo, with tourist hotspots like Shinjuku offering competitive rates and great facilities.

Which is why our Japanese-language reporter, Sunakoma Masanuki, couldn’t resist indulging himself in one located in the heart of Shibuya. A short eight-minute-walk from Shibuya Station’s Hachiko Gate took him right to the entrance of Capsule Hotel Shibuya.

A night’s stay usually costs 4,500 yen (US$42.26), but our thrifty reporter managed to snag an online deal for 3,600 yen. Check-in for this men’s-only capsule hotel was at twelve noon and check-out at 11:00 a.m.

▼ Pick your choice of amenities from the vending machine.

Aside from accommodation, a separate “bath course” was also on offer to anyone for a small fee of 1,200 yen. Since it’s available all day long, people could waltz in at any time — 3:00 a.m. if they felt like it — and take a hot bath, jump into a luxurious sauna, and onto a well-cushioned reclining chair to take away all that pent-up stress.

As Sunakoma had an appointment in the evening, he checked in at 2:00 p.m., stored his valuables in the provided lockers and headed straight for the baths to freshen up.

▼ The lockers were large enough to store personal belongings, but customers with large suitcases might have a tough time.

Fortunately for our reporter, the bath and sauna areas were devoid of people during the afternoon, allowing Sunakoma to fully enjoy the calcium carbonate-enriched waters and therapeutic steam.

▼ It’s no luxurious hotel, but the amenities proved to be more than adequate.

There was one gripe that Sunakoma just couldn’t let slide: the length of the shorts provided for customers to wear. He felt rather exposed as he wasn’t used to having his hairy legs on display. A very minor complaint, but a complaint nonetheless.

▼ He wasn’t thrilled at the idea of rooms filled with middle-aged men with hairy legs. Or perhaps he was thinking too much.

Another problem was that the building had only one elevator, which would definitely add to the waiting time, especially during peak hours.

▼ Sure there’s a staircase, but another elevator would have been a welcome addition.

Given that his stay included free Wi-Fi, bath, sauna and coin laundry facilities, those problems pale in comparison to what he was getting for such a price.

The capsules themselves were nothing to shout about, but it did provide decent space to bunker down and get a good night’s sleep after that sweet sauna session.

▼ Remember which number’s yours to avoid awkward moments.

▼ Free earplugs ensured Sunakoma’s trip to dreamland didn’t get interrupted by snorers.

▼ Sockets to charge mobile phones came in handy.

Considering there’s a simple breakfast of coffee and bread included in the 3,600 yen fee, our trusty reporter thought its ample amenities and close proximity to the heart of Shibuya made it an attractive deal. It’s a shame that it’s only available for men, but fear not, as a gorgeous women’s-only capsule can be found just around the corner.

Hotel information
Capsule Hotel Shibuya / カプセルホテル渋谷
Address: Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Dogenzaka, 1-19-14
東京都渋谷区道玄坂1-19-14
Hours: 12 p.m.-11 a.m. (Bath available 24 hours)

Source: Capsule Hotel Shibuya
[ Read in Japanese ]