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Capsule hotels popular in Japan

2010-03-30 08:35 BJT

Japan's capsule hotels appeared in 1979 with the purpose of providing a bed for those who work too late to catch the last bus. In past two years, they have became more popular as the economy was hit hard by the global financial crisis. Many people who lost their job have to live in these hotels.

Capsule Hotels fully epitomize Japan's passion for saving space. Inside the hotel there are many small rooms which look like washing machines. Every room, 2 meters long, 1 meter wide and 1.25 meters high, is called a capsule. It is equipped with one bed, one table and one TV set.

To save costs, the whole capsule hotel is serviced by one front desk clerk. No one will come to collect room fees or send water. Instead it is equipped with vending machines, electronic terminals and cameras.

A capsule hotel room only costs about 3500 yen for one night. That is half the cost of a normal hotel and 1 fifth of a big hotel. A one month fee is about 70 thousand yen. That is rather cheap in Japan.

Capsule hotels are convenient, cheap, comfortable, safe and clean, and they have been widely promoted in many big cities in southeast Asia and Europe. Currently, some hotels of this kind are showing up in Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou. During this era of skyrocketing house prices, capsule hotels may become a temporary choice for some people.

Inside the hotel there are many small rooms which look like washing machines.
Inside the hotel there are many small rooms which look like washing machines.