ONLY in JAPAN Welcome to Okachimachi in Tokyo. This is Ameyoko market and the area around it buzzes with life And this is also where I'm gonna be spending the night So what makes Okachimachi a really interesting place to stay is its location? It's so convenient. It's located between Akihabara, Ueno Asakusa, and Ginza Which makes it the perfect location and the fact that it's next to this market which has Amazing nightlife, great restaurants that spill out into the streets with really delicious and affordable food. I mean what more could you want? So let's go check in to the capsule hotel Spa Resort President is located on a side street across from Ameyoko Market. It's been in operation for about 40 years As you can plainly see, it's men only. But today, everyone will get a look inside of this typical Japanese capsule and sound our resort When you enter, take off your shoes and go up to the desk It's 3,700 yen a night for a capsule. But with online deals you can save a few hundred yen Depending on the season. You can use the lounges and baths between 10:00 and 3:00 when cleaning is taking place Everyone gets a locker for their shoes Give the key to the front desk, fill in the registration form, and get your locker key. The number corresponds to both the locker and the capsule number Change out of your street clothes and into the hotel's loungewear If you leave the hotel, you have to change back into your street clothes again Keep in mind that the locker area can get a little crowded and privacy is minimal, which is authentic Japanese style This really isn't your normal hotel It's a typical and authentic Japanese style capsule in with sauna where you have very little privacy You get a clean place to rest than a new way to experience an overnight. Stay in Japan Perfect for the backpacker in you. Knowing this, we can continue to the lounge area. It's a place that's essentially your living room for a night with Lots of other guests pick a chair or area on the floor and make yourself at home This is how busy Japanese men crash for a night. You might even make some friends here If you don't want to get a capsule, you can opt for a sound a stay and just sleep in a lounge chair You might even say it's better than first-class on an airplane! The seats go way back! There's even a control panel in the lounge chair to watch TV You can also order food and eat it at your chair It's a place where guys can be guys, you know, be super lazy and forget the outside world Hold up partner! Before you go to sleep, how about taking a bath? They've got an incredible Japanese-Style bath too! Before we get in the bath, it's important to rinse off the body This is Japanese community bathing and the norm around the country It's really a great way to reset the body after a long and tiring day This is a reason to take advantage of, public fads and ever you stay in an accommodation that has one of these Use it because, it is just yet pure paradise Japanese live by the principles of Hadaka No Tsukiai (はだか の つきあい), we're all equal when naked. Any difficulties you had in the outside world just melts away in here The water here contains minerals good for the body. And it's not the only place you can relax here The upstairs steam room uses Japanese mugwort called Yomogi (よもぎ) adding a little aromatherapy to your relaxation It gets hot in here So you may need to bail when the body says split If you can stand the heat, the sound is the place to go to sweat it all out The temperature in here is near 100 degrees Celsius When you can't take any more, it's time for its polar opposites Cool the body down in this polar bear 15 degrees Celsius chill bath The toughest of the tough can grit their teeth, and fight it out for a few moments And then there's the rest of us And then, there are the smart ones Shampoo, soap, and shaving cream all included Wash up after the bath and leave happier, healthier, and definitely cleaner because it's dinner time This is a busy man's home away from home. All the favorites are here and very reasonably priced Share a beer with new friends over a meal Capsule ends have all sorts of services to add to the experience for some guys. This is better than home This sukiyaki may even taste better than your wife's cooking. And if you're here because she kicked you out of the house Well, worry about that later Here's a typical guy friendly meal, meat spice vegetables, and beer. Not too shabby Take care of your mates and leave happy and full Now here's the capsule area at Spa Resort President There's a strict no talking policy here, people already sleeping have drawn the curtain Inside the capsule there's an air vent, control panel with alarm, an electrical outlet, and a TV I've been to so many capsule hotels and each one is a little different. In 2015, I stayed at one in Shinjuku It was the classic 1980 style. All plastic shell with a small back door and curtain Let's compare the two Wow!!! So I can see right away, there is a huge difference in the size of this capsule! This one is 210 centimeters long compared to the other one that was 200 centimeters So if you're, if you're a tall person, this probably can accommodate almost anybody. This feels like a fort when I was a kid I used to make forts out of blankets in it. It does have this this very comfortable feel to it now the curtain Opens on the long side. And in most capsule hotels, they open up on on the the end of it There is free Wi-Fi in here. So you don't have to worry about not having internet connection. You have it inside of this It also comes with headphones, so you don't disturb your neighbors, which is very important inside of any capsule But I have to tell you this is a very comfortable experience and I'm quite satisfied They also have deluxe capsules which give you a little more privacy, and a small workstation Let's see what Shingo has to say about his capsule. It's actually not like a capsule or a conventional capsule Look at the height here. It's much much higher than a usual capsule, and oh check this out Good cushioning armrest iPhone, you can enjoy all you like, and the mattress is really, really thick Arms length, everything that you need is right here And I'm already half asleep because it's so relaxing. If you want to sleep, you're just gonna lie down and little bear sleep. I'd say this is, this is not a capsule hotel. This is like a mini fortress Here are some of the dont's at Spa Resort President Want to make a call?
Don't do it in the sleeping rooms! Be a good neighbor! So you want to bring in cheap beats from an outside convenience store? Bust it! No outside food here Your valuable should be kept with you are put in a locker. Don't leave anything important in the capsule or sleeping areas! How about making calls in the lounge area? Yeah Your neighbors won't like it, and neither will the manager! Do it in the lobby! running around and making trouble is prohibited. If you have a problem, contact the manager If you don't want a capsule, you can lounge around until morning like this guy Pick a few of your favorite manga from the library and bring a mattress nearby, like you would at a friend's house Grab a pillow too Many people like to read manga, even in their sleep! Another option of the Japanese-Style booths similar to those at manga cafes They're not very big but offer more privacy than a lounge chair You get a bed, computer and headphones, and access to the entire spa For many, it's the perfect place to crash Keep in mind that the walls are thin, and you may hear the other snoring, but a good set of earplugs can save the night I almost prefer this to the capsule because you can move around a little bit more Log on to your favorite show and watch a few episodes before bed Male-only, huh? Let's hear about the history and background of these kinds of accommodations in Japan Now, in Tokyo Okajima here,
we have kind of men's only it's because... 1960s and 1970s There are lots of Japanese businessmen men were working too much and they have Didn't have any time to go home, so they can use this kind of facility You know, there is a sound spa Restaurant, and there's manga area, just take a nap a bit Maybe, you know some businessmen during a noon time, they can hang here So they just sleep three hours, pay ten bucks, right and just go back to the work. You're right! You can crash here in the afternoon and play hooky from work, and the outside world would never know it Sometimes they miss a train and oh They know why, why don't we go capsules? Why don't we go to sauna, you know after the morning and then Businessmen go to work again Always like a business history I mean in Japan we say Dan'nochūnodan (男の中の男) Yes That's fit. You know that word is fitting on this city. Yeah, really? That's why I love it I really like staying in places like this, you know from
30, 40 years ago. You feel like you're living in history This is a throwback to our fathers era where they worked so hard they would just, crash in a place like this Now, work lifestyles have changed, and more and
more women have entered the workforce
since 30, 40 years ago They were more, traditional where men went out and worked and women stayed at home
to take care of the family Now, we have women in the workplace but there are also women only capsule hotels and resorts. And there are also Co-ed capsules and, there's places like this that
still exist where their men only.
And it gives you that sort of authentic Japanese Field because it hasn't changed for decades, and these places exist, because it is kind of like a refuge for guys I like that Theirs a harmony to all of it! This place in particular, and all of the capsule hotels are usually situated next to train stations, or, in the middle of entertainment districts, which makes it extremely convenient and affordable! You can stay in a seat
like this for three hours for $10, or all night for like less than $30 These seats go back all the way like first-class on an airplane. It is really cool. And you know if you're worried about the security It's no different than being on an airplane Really you don't worry about your stuff About your personal well-being on an airplane when you're flying from New York to Tokyo or from from Osaka to London You're on an airplane and it's the same thing here.
This is a community I think if you come to Japan and you want an accommodation option that's really close to the center of the city That's almost always available. It's cheap. It's Relaxing, I think capsule hotels, sauna resorts like this one ー President, here in Okachimachi are really
the way to go. What do you think? Could you stay here?
Would women even want to stay here?
What do you think of the amenities? Leave your thoughts and a comment below, on a typical Japanese male only capsule and sauna experience
