Japan is home to some of extreme but useful inventions, and one of these is the capsule hotel. The first capsule hotel in the world was built in Osaka in 1970 to provide businessmen from other cities, a place to stay at night at a fraction of the cost of regular business hotels. Many capsule hotels are now found not only in Japan, but all over the world.

My first capsule hotel experience was at Do-C Gotanda(read as Degree C, Do in Nihongo is Degree in English) in Shinagawa ward, Tokyo. It’s a fairly new capsule hotel which opened last April 2018. Do-C Gotanda is operated by Nine Hours who owns futuristic and modern looking capsule hotels all over Tokyo, Narita, Kyoto, and Sendai.

I decided to stay at Do-C Gotanda because it’s the cheapest hotel I can find in Agoda. I was able to book a sleeping capsule for 2 nights for about Php1700. On their website, their regular rate is 4900 yen (Php2331) per night. I stayed at Do-C Gotanda for 2 nights during my 5 day trip in Nagano and Tokyo last July 2018.

Do-C Gotanda is a men only capsule hotel located just 3 minutes walk from Gotanda Station. There are many nearby restaurants and convenience stores around the hotel, but the best thing is just outside the station, there’s a supermarket where you can buy food and supplies. From Gotanda Station, Tokyo’s popular wards like Shibuya, Harajuku, and Shinjuku are few stops away. Shinagawa Station where you can take the Narita Express to Narita International Airport is just 2 stops away.

The only downside of the hotel area is that it is surrounded by clubs, and the people looking for customers are annoying. As long as you won’t mind them, you’re okay.

The 7 floor capsule hotel boasts a minimalist-industrial interior design using bare concrete, metal details, and wood finishes. The 1F houses the reception area and big luggage storage, there’s also a vending machine just in case you get thirsty. From the 2F to 6F are the sleeping capsules, each floor has its own locker and shared toilet + sink area. The 7F is a common area for lounging and dining. Please note that there’s no available food inside the hotel. Like any other capsule hotels, Do-C Gotanda has a shared bathroom located at the basement level. The shower area also has a sauna which can be used by guests for free. They also offer sauna + shower package for only 1000 yen or Php480.

Upon check-in, I was given my locker key and capsule assignment. I suggest requesting for a corner lower-level sleeping capsule so that it’s easier to go in and out. I was also given a bag with a lounge wear, room slippers, towels, and dental kit. Guests are not really required to wear the lounge wear, but it is part of the experience.

The Capsules

My sleeping capsule was on the 3F. As soon as you get off the elevator, you will be able to see the sleeping capsules stacked two units high. According to Do-C Gotanda website, their sleeping capsules are 110cm wide by 220cm deep by 110cm tall. Each sleeping capsule has futon mattress, it is not that thick but comfortable to use. It also comes with a pillow and a comforter. Each sleeping capsule also has a flat wall plug, a USB plug, and light which you can control the brightness. It also has a small wall table where you can place your small items like cellphones, keys, and other gadgets. It also has a screen cover that you can close for privacy. Drinking and eating inside the sleeping area is not allowed.

I thought my claustrophobia will be triggered while inside the sleeping capsule, but the space was actually okay. It’s not big, but not too small. It’s good enough for me to sleep comfortably, sit, and even place my bag on the side. At night , it was really quiet until some guest snores. Make sure you bring earplugs to block off the noise.

Also on the floor are wooden lockers, the number of your bed assignment also corresponds to your locker number. I find the locker really small though. My backpack won’t fit that’s why I just decided to keep it inside my capsule. I just stored all my valuables inside the locker. On the 3F, there are also 2 sinks and 3 modern Japanese toilets.

The Shower + Sauna

Like typical capsule hotels, Do-C Gotanda has a shared shower area. You need to exchange your room locker key at the reception area to another shower locker key where you can store your belongings while showering.

If you’re not used to getting naked around people, this place is not for you. The showers are divided by glass panels and don’t have doors to cover you. There’s hot and cold shower, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash were also provided. There are also hairdryers and extra towels in the locker area.

I was not able to experience the sauna though because it’s already hot in Japan when I visited during summer.

Check-in / Check-out

Check-in at Do-C Gotanda is at 1pm, and check-out is at 10am. One of the downside of this is that you need to check-out and check-in everyday even though you are booked for multiple nights. The reason behind this is that they clean the rooms and lockers every day.

I stayed at Do-C Gotanda for 2 nights. When I check-out the next day, I didn’t really want to waste 4 hours of my day just waiting for the check-in time at 1pm. Good thing, they allow guests to store bags at the luggage storage area, and then check-in again at a later time.

Overall, my first capsule hotel experience at Do-C Gotanda was fun and relaxing. If you will ask me if I’ll stay again, my answer is yes! On my next visit to Japan, I would like to stay in a capsule hotel with onsen, a Japanese bath house.