How Japan Utilizes Capsule Hotels to Achieve Both Functionality and Rich Staying Experiences

The capsule hotel is typically representative of the image that many people have of Japan, combining dense use of space, technical ingenuity, and a futuristic vibe. Capsule hotels, also known as pod hotels, are one of Japan’s best-known and unique types of lodgings. Typically located around major public transportation hubs in large metropolitan cities, they target individuals looking for a low-budget, single-night stay.

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Each guest is called to occupy a capsule, essentially a bed-sized pod, offering privacy with either a door or a curtain. Arranged in rows and double-stacked, each capsule offers all the necessary amenities that guests seek – namely air-conditioning, power outlets, and high-speed Wi-Fi – without the significant price tag often times attached to standard or business hotels, with patrons being expected to pay between 2,000 to 5,000 yen a night. The first capsule hotel opened in Osaka in 1979, and today, can be found all across Japan and beyond.

All of the other facilities at the capsule hotel, such as washrooms, toilets, and showers, are shared amongst the guests. In addition, the hotels may also house restaurants, vending machines, laundry facilities, communal lounges, and entertainment rooms. In this article, we will cover the likes of different capsule hotels located within the heart of Japan’s cityscapes.

Nine Hours Capsule Hotel by Naruse Inokuma Architects is a project designed to create new a new standard for capsule hotels. They endeavored to design a completely new form of the capsule hotel that reinvents its conventional image, pursuing functionality whilst simultaneously providing a rich staying experience.

The four stages of the capsule hotel stay were reconfigured into four scenes, comprising the reception, prologue corridor, sanitary lounge, and sleeping pod spaces. By selecting the most suitable colors, materials, and lighting for each of these functions, Naruse Inokuma Architects could realize a functional hotel that is also rich in the joys of the hotel stay – from the welcoming to the excitement, relaxation, and ultimate sleep experience.

ºC (Do-C) Ebisu by Schemata Architects is a new business directly connected to the Nine Hours Capsule Hotel chain. Whilst the Nine Hour Capsule Hotels offer a new image of the contemporary capsule hotel by completely redesigning and building new capsules from scratch, the company took a different approach in designing ºC, where the project is a result of a renovation of an existing capsule hotel.

The project aims to eradicate the image of the former capsule hotel by changing the interior and surroundings, whilst keeping the existing capsules as they are. In Japan, people often stereotypically associate capsule hotels with saunas due to the conventional style of capsule hotels in the past. The existing building was not originally equipped with saunas, however, the designers intentionally recreated this overworked image by adding saunas, whilst eradicating the conventional impression, to establish a powerful combination of capsules and saunas to represent the identity of ºC.

Small Hotel by CAPD is a new ‘unnamed operation’, housing no resident staff throughout the establishment. Whilst pursuing rationality in architecture, it was thought that the hardest part of the building would have a large impact on the satisfaction of the guests and aimed to design a facility that would encourage the public to visit again.

Best suited to fit into the bigger side of capsule hotels, the hotel employs the use of wide cabin-sized openings in individual spaces, with a double-bed-sized mattress with an abundance of room for two people to occupy one space. The structural material and the base are finished as it is, and it does not have a cheap impression by the balance with other materials, the color scheme, and the lighting whilst keeping the cost down.

Whether you have missed your last train to commute home, or are simply looking to extend your stay in the city for a couple more days without resorting to a traditional hotel stay, the capsule hotel is the perfect solution for travelers and locals alike and is a must-do when in Japan. Albeit the epitome of comfort may not be entirely found here, they sure are cozy, quick, and well-equipped, and form the basis of a great story to tell when you are back home.