First Cabin Tsukiji - a Capsule Hotel Experience

It was a dream of mine to stay in a capsule hotel in Toyko, but en route to my station I realized I didn’t write down, screenshot, or have a map to the capsule hotel. I only knew the station name.

Oops.

Luckily when I exited the station I could see the hotel sign across the street, a one minute walk away.

All eight floors are designed like the luxurious first-class cabin of a plane, with separate floors for men and women. The hotel itself is wonderful, with daily fresh towels, an array of toiletries, and awesome Japanese toilets with lots of buttons including a fake flushing sound.

Japan is known for soothing onsen’s and this lovely spa was the perfect temperature for soaking after a long day of exploration. Just remember to wash well before relaxing in the pool. I’ll never forget my first sauna experience in Korea. A group of sweet ajummas (older Korean women) took my hand, led me to the bathing area, and were having too much fun scrubbing me clean.

I stayed in a spacious business class cabin and appreciated the strict floor rules regarding noise: no talking, no using your phone, and no tv watching unless you used headphones. I locked-up my luggage around the corner from my bed and used the free wifi to analyze train maps before I left each morning. The Tokyo train system is intricate and a bit overwhelming but I found kind people willing to help me everywhere I went.

If you’re sensitive to sound you’ll find earplugs on your bed. The shutters on the cabin were a bit loud, and with people coming and going all night long you might find yourself very grateful for those spongy little miracles.

My experience at First Cabin Tsukiji was excellent, highly recommended, and affordable ($115 for two nights).