Capsule Hotels

[NAPS]

Im planning a 7 day trip to akihabara this summer, i want to conserve cash for games and anime. So to the point has anyone experienced a capsule hotel? I Know they are cheaper (much cheaper) than ryokan but are they bearable for 7 days?

[tyoko]

I serched about capsuleinn Akihabara by internet.
you can stay 7days, but you have to leave the room 10:00AM everyday.
You can leave the baggage with a rocker.

It's cleaning time in the building at five p.m. from ten a.m., and it isn't possible to be in inside of the building.

URL

Capsule Inn Akihabara | hotel rooms in Tokyo Japan | unique accommodations

[joeyj]

I don't see why you couldn't survive for 7 days.. its just a place to sleep while you go out and do things during the day.

[MMM]

Seven days in Akihabara? So what are you going to do on day 2?

[NAPS]

Originally Posted by MMM

Seven days in Akihabara? So what are you going to do on day 2?

Whatever springs into mind, i dont just want to go solely to buy games and anime (thats just my main reason), i also want to go sightseeing and get a good feel for the culture, also get very very drunk off of the native drinks heheh

[Sangetsu]

Don't bother with the capsule hotels, you can get a stall at an internet cafe for less money, and you don't have to leave at any particular time. I can't recommend any particular one, but friends visiting Tokyo from other parts of Japan have stayed at internet cafes and swear by them.

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by NAPS

Whatever springs into mind, i dont just want to go solely to buy games and anime (thats just my main reason), i also want to go sightseeing and get a good feel for the culture, also get very very drunk off of the native drinks heheh

I think that he meant to say that there isn`t a whole lot else in Akihabara.
It`s a neighborhood, not a city. If you love anime and games, 2 or 3 days may not be all that hard to pull off - but you`re going to be walking around the same streets day after day, likely all day. In other words, you`re going to see pretty much all there is to see in that area before you know it. While likely on a much smaller scale, imagine how it would sound to hear someone say they were going to visit a specific neighborhood in the city/town where you live for a whole week.

While there is nothing wrong with visiting Akihabara - it`s an incredible waste if you make that your whole trip.

[NAPS]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

I think that he meant to say that there isn`t a whole lot else in Akihabara.
It`s a neighborhood, not a city. If you love anime and games, 2 or 3 days may not be all that hard to pull off - but you`re going to be walking around the same streets day after day, likely all day. In other words, you`re going to see pretty much all there is to see in that area before you know it. While likely on a much smaller scale, imagine how it would sound to hear someone say they were going to visit a specific neighborhood in the city/town where you live for a whole week.

While there is nothing wrong with visiting Akihabara - it`s an incredible waste if you make that your whole trip.

Ohhh no what confusion, i dont plan on only staying around akihabara for a whole 7 days that as you said would be a waste, but its sort of the main point of my trip though

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by NAPS

Ohhh no what confusion, i dont plan on only staying around akihabara for a whole 7 days that as you said would be a waste, but its sort of the main point of my trip though

That`s a relief - Your first post says "a 7 day trip to akihabara", so it is easy to misinterpret your meaning.

Personally, I`d look around at youth hostels instead of capsule hotels.
Despite the image of being cheap, they really aren`t that much. They usually have great baths, but you can almost always find a real room at a cheapy business hotel for the same amount... Or a room at a youth hostel for even cheaper.
There are lockers at capsule hotels, but in general they are small and will not hold a regular sized suitcase. You`ll have to check it at the desk which can be a real pain.

Think of them more as last resort types of lodging. They have a near monopoly on middle of the night sudden check-ins, etc, so can be very crappy but still cost as much as a regular hotel room.

[Tarto]

I spent four nights at a capsule hotel in Akihabara about two years ago, just wanted to try for the sake of it.

I agree with the other replies, capsule hotels are surprisingly expensive for what they are (when I went there, the standard fee was 4000 yen per night). You'd better find a room at a cheap guesthouse, plus it'll be easier to store your luggage.

I wrote a small post about capsule hotels on my blog (in the accommodation category) check it out, there are a few pictures so you can see what it looks like.