Hasta La Gadget!

In my years in the countryside before moving to Tokyo, I had nowhere to stay when visiting the Big City. Being young and broke, I would usually sleep in an internet cafe which had private booths, blankets, and sometimes even showers for about $10 a night. If I was feeling particularly generous to myself I’d splurge and stay at a capsule hotel for $30-40, have a nice sauna to relax in, and my own private tube for sleeping. Below are pictures of the first one I ever stayed in:

Now a company called First Cabin is changing the game and somewhat combining the two concepts with their airline-themed mini hotel in Namba, Osaka. The building contains 111 rooms (only 12 for women) that come in First Class ($50 / 4.2 sq. meter) and Business Class ($40 / 2.5 sq. meter) cabins that are fully equipped with TVs, AC power, Internet access, pajamas, and amenities.

There are also lounge and massage areas for relaxing out of the room, and shower/bath facilities for public bathing as is customary in capsule hotels and other cheap business hotels, but is actually rather nice once you get used to it. Daytime stays are also possible at $8 and $9 per hour.

First Cabin is also cashless, taking advantage of mobile technology that everyone has on them, and streamlining the process from beginning to end. Reservations can be made through a mobile application which then turns the phone into an RFID key to get customers inside the room areas. Using e-money solutions such as Suica and Edy, the same phone also pays for the room and any purchases made inside such as food and drinks. Thus, it’s possible to reserve a room and stay comfortably without even carrying a wallet.

First Cabin’s debut hotel is in Namba, Osaka, so if you’re in town and in need of a quick nap or overnight stay you can make reservations online and pay by card or cash if need be.