Hi guys, for those who has lived in Japan, I was wondering whether you have tried sleeping in one of those "sleeping capsules" or "internet cafe cubicles". I'm a bit of claustrophobe so the capsules doesn't sound like a good experience (what if i get trapped), but the overnight internet cafe cubicle is an interesting concept that I would like to try out if I ever go there. Was wondering if anyone actually tried them?

Eyobe did this actually.

I live in the inaka of the inaka, so whenever i can, I spend a small fortune to catch the train into a big city for a weekend. Because of the cost of the train, I regularly stay in capsule hotels.

To be honest i think the weirdness of capsule hotels is exaggerated. Instead of thinking of them as "hotels where your entire room is the size of a coffin" it's best to think of them more as hostels, or dormitories, but instead of bunkbeds with no privacy, your bunk is surrounded by solid walls, except for one end.

You also often have your own TV in there with you.

In this sense, capsule hotels are a level up from a dorm room with bunks.

As long as you see the capsule as just a place to sleep, not a room to hang out in, then you'll be fine.

A lot of the capsule hotels have great onsen and so on to relax in when you're still awake.

Try it once: I think you'll find it's not as bad you expect.

I haven't tried a net cafe - though I've thought of it - but I imagine the capsule would be a level above the net cafe in terms of a comfortable/quiet night's sleep. (although, as in any hostel/dorm room, I recommend you bring earplugs)

Capsule Hotels might be interesting as a novelty, but there are often much better options if you prepare ahead of time. For instance, there are many, many "business hotels" which have a private twin bed and a small desk, and a bathroom about the size of an airplane bathroom, which run about $45-65 a night. They typically aren't in the hot spot neighborhoods, but many are within a 5-8 stops of top neighborhood. And in general, most of them are very clean.

The capsule hotel prices go up depending on what time you want to sleep there, with the middle of the night being the most expensive. And they can book up solid, so you can't really depend on walking up and getting one.

As far as the manga cafe option, that really is the option of last resort. Yes, it's cheap, but it's much like trying to sleep on an airplane. The lights don't go down, you sleep in a cubicle on a recliner, and if you don't bring your eyecover you'll either have to buy one or stare at the fluorescent light. It's an option if you're trying to get a few hours sleep in a neighborhood, but I wouldn't want to stay at one for more than a night if I had a choice.

My experiences with mangakissa are a bit different from BrianT's. I've stayed at mangakissa a few times when I've had no other options. They did dim all the lights (where I've stayed) at night and if you wanted to read you had a desk lamp in the cubicle. They also had full amenities (showers, cheap/junk food [soft serve ice-cream and tea/juice was all you can eat/drink too], computer and internet access, etc) so it really wasn't bad at all. The worst part for me was how quiet it got at night, I was afraid to rummage around in my bag because everyone would hear me. Of course, your milage may vary. Before you stay you may need to get a membership, I've always just signed up at the door if I needed one.

What BrianT was saying about business hotels is spot on though in my opinion. If you can find one they are far better than a mangakissa for privacy and security for your luggage. It's also much easier to come and go from a business hotel if you wanted to take a walk around town in the evening. The ones I've stayed at also served a complimentary washoku breakfast which sure beat konbini onigiri/bread. The only issues I've had with business hotels is that they aren't thrilled to have backpackers stay there - sometimes it's been a problem but sometimes not. If you look relatively cleaned up and don't have a backpacking backpack you should be fine though.

Anyway, my two cents.

Yeah, good advice from those above. A cheap business hotel for 4000-5000 yen is a good alternative if you don't mind spending a bit more. But at 2000-3000 for a capsule, if you really don't want to spend much, it's a great deal.

Having said that, in Osaka, for example, there are hotels as cheap as capsule hotels, if not cheaper. Shininomiya has hotels for about 2000 yen. They all have shared bathrooms, but you get your own very small room to yourself. Definitely a better deal than a capsule. The reason they are so cheap is because Shininomiya is renowned for being a bit of a seedy/dangerous part of town. But I've found that, because of that very reputation, there are always lots of cops around at night, and the streets don't feel unsafe.

If you're out clubbing in Shinsaibashi past the end of the train times you'd need a taxi to get there though, which would remove the low-cost incentive. Capsules tend to be much more central and convenient locations.

I'm pretty sure one of the signs visible from Kanda station advertises manga kissa with sound proof booths that are like completely separate rooms. I think a lot of them in central Tokyo offer a lot more services nowadays. I don't have a clue what the prices or experience are like though.

Personally, I'd look for a decent, cheap hotel first and then think about a manga kissa if I went over my budget. It could be an interesting Japanese experience, I guess.

For one night, it might not be a bad idea to try a cubicle hotel or a kissa, at least to cross it off the list of "interesting Japanese experiences." But if you're carrying a lot of luggage, it could be more hassle than it's worth.

In hotels, like everything else, you get what you pay for. If it's cheap, there's a reason. Either the hotel is old (and smells funny), or inconvenient, or maybe it's in a dodgy neighborhood.

If you just need a place to crash, there are some bargains out there, though, and even a ボロボロ business hotel will be clean enough, and be a good place to sleep for 8 hours. And it might have all kinds of interesting Showa era leftovers in it! (Like those crazy headboard consoles with alarm clocks from the 1970s.)

I have slept in many internet cafes. Some are definitely better than others, but overall it's pretty great.

Some tips:
Check if there is a shower first. Not all have showers, and showers are a really good thing to have after sleeping all night on a plastic mat after traveling around all day. A few of the best even have washing machines.
Ask for a flat room (フラット). Most places have them, and they're really quite comfortable. Plenty of room to lie down.
If you're out of the major cities - check where they are on the internet first. Most of the really good ones in the smaller cities are a few train stations away from the centre. You can't necessarily expect to find one in the middle of cities.
Don't bother in some cities - Kyoto specifically comes to mind, because the hostels are of high quality and cheaper than the internet cafes.

There are downsides to them though, of course. If you have luggage you need to store it somewhere during the day. Normally I travel with a reasonably small backpack and leave it in the lockers at the train station, but it's another expense you wouldn't have to worry about if you had real accommodation.
Also, you have to wait around for the night pack time to start, and some places can be really stingy with that. Avoid places that only give you 8 hours of night pack time because it's not enough. Real accommodation is nice because you can just head there whenever you get sick of hanging around.
They're usually very quiet and dim, but of course there's sometimes someone snoring in the cubicle next to yours, and a few don't have dimmed lights.

Anyway, I recommend it if you're traveling light. I started sleeping in them when I went to Sendai and literally everything else was booked, but since then I've slept in them all around the country and it's been overall pretty good.

Interesting. So i guess it its well more suited for light travelers then. I can see how a hotel can be a better experience and at the same time cubicle being more unique (but maybe not something one would do for more than a week, althouthg there are people who live in cafes essentially).

Given the relative privacy that you get from these 24 hr cubicles, i can't help but wonder if couple do stuff there..