Stayed at Capsule Inn Osaka.
can be discovered capsule hotel They were located in all major cities in Japan, but the first one was Osaka. February 2, 1979 Capsule Inn Osaka is the first capsule hotel in Japan and even the world..
Of course, given how quickly the cityscape of downtown Japan changes, perhaps Capsule Inn Osaka went out of business years ago and was replaced by something else? no! It’s still open and accepting guests, so I spent one night there on my recent trip to Osaka.
Capsule Inn Osaka, or New Japan Umeda to use its full name on the sign, Capsule Inn Osaka is located under a covered section of Higashi-dori shopping street, near both Osaka and Umeda stations. Why is this place name so long? New Japan Umeda is the name of the on-site public bath and sauna facility that guests can use free of charge..
When you enter the hotel, take off your shoes and head to the check-in desk. The fourth floor has a guest lounge and changing room with lockers for donning bathrobes and storing clothes and belongings.
The lounge has a bit of a cabin feel, and there are also photos on the walls showing how it looked in 1979.
We changed into robes and headed to the New Japan Umeda section. A 4-story complex relaxation facility equipped with various baths, saunas, and massage rooms..
Massage services are extra, but everything else is included in the capsule hotel’s room rate, and the facilities are so luxurious that you wouldn’t expect it to be a capsule hotel. In addition to the open-air bath corner, the low-temperature sauna is planetarium-themed, with starlight-style lighting and relaxing music..
▼ The grooming area was clean, bright, and spacious.
After sweating and getting soaked, it was time to go to the capsule.
It’s a bit surreal atmosphere. On the other hand, when Capsule Inn Osaka opened, it definitely looked like something out of a sci-fi future. Its official aesthetic was “business hotel of 2100”. What seemed futuristic in 1979 now has a distinctly retro feel, as if he traveled back 45 years and then returned to the future in an alternate timeline.
The capsule is not as spacious as the ones in newer capsule hotels, but we still managed to fit in. It’s always great to see space in a capsule hotel bedroom used efficiently, but this room, with its TV, interior lighting, shelves and mirror, would have been doubly impressive at the time. No doubt.
Capsule Inn Osaka also serves a delicious breakfast.. In addition to grilled salmon and mackerel sets, we also have light snacks such as toast and natto. However, since breakfast is the most important meal of the day, I chose the curry rice spread. It was delicious and hearty. Yes, breakfast was included in the base price of the stay.
The cost of staying at Capsule Inn Osaka is 4,000 yen (US$25), which may be a bit high for a capsule hotel. While the prices of accommodations are skyrocketing in all major travel destinations in Japan, considering the proximity to Osaka and Ueda stations and the high quality of the baths and saunas, the prices are not too bad. But most of all, it was a rare opportunity to stay in such a historically important place when traveling in Japan, and I’m glad I was able to stay there.
Hotel information
Capsule Inn Osaka / Capsule Inn Osaka
Address: 9-5 Doyamacho, Kita Ward, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture
9-5 Doyama-cho, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Prefecture
Website
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