Budget accommodation, but not as you know it…
If there’s one nation that can lay claim to giving the world weird and wonderful, it’s Japan. Sure, Switzerland brought us velcro, Australia unleashed UGG boots, and the UK came up with (this could be weird or wonderful, depending on who you are) black pudding. But no other country has produced such an eclectic mix as the Land of the Rising Sun. Now we can add the Space Capsule to that illustrious list.
Like the Nissan Qashqai, they’re catching on; but unlike the Nissan Xterra, it looks as though they’re here to stay. Does this mean it’s time for that old faithful of budget travelling, the hostel, to move over? Hold on a second, because not everyone wants to dump their backpack in this latest cheap option just yet, despite it being light years ahead of the competition.
For a start, some of them don’t even have room for baggage, for no two capsule communities are the same. Second of all, they’re not always that budget-friendly, but we’ll come back to the negatives in due course. So when did this thoroughly modern story start? Believe it or not, way back in 1979! Not that modern then, you’d think, but from their beginnings in Osaka, it’s only within the last decade that they’ve spread from Asia to the rest of the globe. Originally designed as a place for intoxicated Japanese office workers to lay their heads as a cheap alternative to getting the train home, they’re now a hit with backpackers, intoxicated or not.
Do I speak from any experience? A little. To-date I’ve stayed in two, one next to an airport, the other in a capital city (I’m not going into specifics because, you know, bad publicity n’ all that), and the former was fine but the latter not so. The airport capsule was a room, albeit a very small one, whereas the city stay was basically just a bed. Before anyone hits back with “you get what you pay for”, it wasn’t cheap at over €40 a night. Still, there were lockers provided for your belongings, as well as a bedside safe for extremely small and valuable possessions.
While part of that information may have very slightly narrowed down the possibilities as to which city I could be referring to, all space capsule rooms have something in common which is their big selling point: privacy. You may well be in close proximity to your fellow guests, and directly above or below one or two of them, but your space is completely your own. The top-bunk-bottom-bunk look in the images might suggest you and your neighbour are rather too close for comfort, but don’t be fooled.
On the other hand, if you happen to be claustrophobic, do take heed of the photos; there’s precious little that you get to call your own. But it is all yours, which is why space capsules – whilst undoubtedly not for everyone – are finding their niche. Most are reasonably priced; all are quirky – not a million miles away from a budget traveller’s nirvana.
It would be nirvana for me if I could find one where the TV works! Still, third time lucky perhaps, although I can’t be sure If I’ll stay in one ever again, but that’s just me. If you’ve experienced encapsulation or you’re just curious, let us know your thoughts in the usual place.
The Early Whistle 