So I've been thinking of spending a week or so in Japan, to get a taste of the culture and lifestyle, I barely know Japanese, only the basics, please thank you's etc. I was thinking of spending the week in one of those capsule hotels, as I've slept far rougher before aha! Also I've just turned 18 and was thinking of going alone or possibly with my 15 year old brother. Any advice you could give me? Anything would be greatly appreciated! Thank you
Don't take your brother. When using capsule hotels, the accommodation isn't what would be rough, it's the company you would be keeping. Especially in the big metropolitan areas, there are people who cannot afford to go home every day, because they live somewhat far away and have to make long trips. They will usually pack for a week on Mondays, spend the week working at daytime, sleeping in cheap accommodation like capsule hotels and manga cafes at night time, since they offer facilities such as showers and usually have great night-time deals (spend the night at a manga cafe, read all you want, drink all you want, have own cubicle with own PC, have own blanket, comfy chair to sleep in etc.), and then go home on Fridays.
Depending on where you're going, you can find budget hotels for the same cost or less than a capsule hotel, due to the fact that the capsule hotels are usually conveniently located next to train stations and the like. It you're considering spending a week in Japan, then the absolute proximity of major public transport isn't going to be that important. I would maybe (indeed, have) stay in one for a night for the novelty factor, but that's about it. Also, I'm pretty sure most of them don't accept minors, if you were considering going with your brother. I've spent weeks at a time staying in this place in Osaka, just to give an example of how cheap basic accommodation in Japan can be: http://www.hotel-toyo.jp/
If you're not adverse to a game of tummy sticks, you can find any number of gentlemen who will have you cheap room and board in various areas of Shinjuku.
Thanks for the advice everyone! And I don't think incest tummy sticks would be a good idea ;D I was mainly thinking of bringing my brother to avoid being alone, What's it like being alone somewhere you're unfamiliar with? Is it dangerous?
Oh and one more thing, flights? From the UK it costs an absolute fortune in comparison to accommodation costs, any way to reduce this?
Come at a a less busy period but you will always pay around £500. Also that hotel linked was in Osaka not tokyo. However you can find cheap places. Also look at airbnb you might find somewhere good there.
Paid only 350 Euros to go from Germany to London and then to Tokyo via British Airways in September and I only booked about four weeks in advance. Just search all the major sites (and also directly at the airlines) and you might find a cheap price. Good luck!
Capsule Hotels seem like a gimmicky "do it once so you can say you did it" kind of thing. We stayed 2 weeks at the Best Western hotel (well, really it's just a motel, no minibar, room service, etc) in Shinjuku. It was very basic, but very reasonably priced (there are decent discounts for 7 night+ stays and for booking well in advance). Admittedly the rooms are small (what do you expect?) but unlike a capsule you have room to sit up and walk around a little, a decent size private bathroom with bath and shower, space to put your luggage (and shopping) and be able to access it. http://eng.bw-shinjuku.com/
From my experience, capsule hotels are usually a last resort kind of thing. When I've used them, it's been during the times when I'm traveling a lot and haven't had time to make proper reservations at an actual hotel. Or, the weekend that I'm traveling happens to be really busy and nearly all other hotels are sold out. In that scenario, capsule hotels will still be the cheapest alternative, and honestly, for a single night's stay, it's no so bad! You'll get a shower room, and so long as you aren't too tall (I'm 6'0 and had a bit of trouble), you'll fit inside the capsule rather nicely and fall asleep in no time.
Yeah unless you specifically want to stay in a capsule for an extended period of time (which I personally would like to do) I wouldn't recommend it, it's a lot of fun if you're looking forward to it
