Photographer's Note
The Shinjuku Capsule Hotel... room.
Space in the big Japan cities are weighted in gold even in hotel. Therefore, a breed of hotel called the capsule hotel can be found as a mean for weary travellers and salaried man too drunk to go home to pass a quick night.
The luxurious accomodation is a cavenous 2 meters long by a meter in width and the same for headroom. You can have a choice of room color as long as it is yellow. In-room amenities included a large 12" color TV, radio-alarm clock, full face plastic mirror. For your security, the pull-down plastic shutter with hook at the bottom ensure that your "door" will snap open as soon as a 8 months old toddler touches it. Full sauna and a pair of hot/cold pools are provided without charge on the sixth floor. The hot pool will garanteed to turn you instantly into lobster's red. The sub-zero temperature of the cold pool will cryogenically preserved your body till the next century. You will have a wonderful chat with butt-naked men around you which by the way you also have to be one yourself if you want to join the club. The shared hi-tech ultravioleted sanitized hairbrush will keep the lice of other people out of your head. The soothing sound of drunken men slumbering in all night and I do mean ALL night will give you much needed time to think about one of the biggest and best mistake in your life.
If you need sleep, you are in the wrong place my friend, if you want to experience Shinjuku city night life, welcome home.
Critiques | Translate
pascalbene
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 238 W: 5 N: 83]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-n-g.gif){kind=small}
(1717) 2004-01-04 12:24
Fantastic picture ! A so small space with so much space and sweet colors. All the more, it is a modern view wich give a lot of interseting knowledge. (Thank-you for this intersting note). Very well Thien !
Didi
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 8657 W: 4410 N: 15286]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-g-g.gif){kind=small}
(61589) 2004-01-04 12:34
Nice, very interesting description and very good composition, but sincerly I prefer to have a sleep in a traditional room, such as in a country bed & breakfast in a lovely farm.
Porteplume
(4036) 2004-01-04 12:42
This is a fantastic photo Thien!
I've never seen this before, even if we once, by accident, landed in a "Formule 1 Hotel" in France where the space is also optimally used... ;o)
Thank you for the humour in your note too!
torben
(3100) 2004-01-04 13:13
A cool high-tec image and interesting note, great. I have heard about these capsule-hotels before but this is the first time I see a photo from the inside.
willpaul
![Silver Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor [C: 14 W: 15 N: 2]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/s-s-n.gif){kind=small}
(48) 2004-01-04 13:26
that's wild... thanks for the note too!
is that a sprinkler system on the top right of the capsule in case of fire?
;)
mdchachi
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 470 W: 14 N: 193]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-s-g.gif){kind=small}
(1612) 2004-01-04 13:33
Good job capturing the inside of a capsule hotel. Nice note too. The only downside here is that you've actually managed to make this cramped spot look somewhat spacious. I'm not sure how best to rectify that except to have a person in the shot, ideally a six-foot tall one.
charmante
(1090) 2004-01-04 14:10
this kind of life , with the help of yr note is terrible.all these yellow walls give me a sense of getting drowned... .we've studied these kind of hotels in our architecture lessons.but I think it's horrible to live in them !!
what A compact-yellow shot...
richtersl
(3546) 2004-01-04 14:28
I've read about these types of hotel rooms in Japan but have never seen a photo of the interior of one. It reminds me of a coccoon with amenities and your photo does a good job of depicting it that way. Your write-up is fascinating.
ninadev
(5377) 2004-01-04 17:56
A memorable humorous experience for one night, a bitter one for more than one night I presume. Great note and good shot too, it really gives a good feeling of being cramped in this small space. Well at least it looks clean and surely not worst then a tent.
Luko
(14000) 2004-01-04 17:57
Thien, you've showed that some of the most meaningful shots in TE do not necessarily involve wild outdoors, fast running or flying animals or weird human behaviors...
Hmmh... no sorry, your shot speaks in fact of weird human behavior and how some japanese "specialties" are soooo eccentric to westerners like me who have never set a foot on Nippon country.
Your photo is like a myth unveiled : everyone has heard about these capsules and showing some kind of a morbid interest, wants to know more about without having to endure any claustrophobic issues.
Sorry for the comparison but it's like roadside accidents : nobody wants to be involved in but everybody stops to see what it looks like.
I know now that it's a bit like hearing Elvis tunes in the autoflush/autoclean toilets of Paris, except that the experience will last a bit more than the time for a wee (I guess it'll be more costly too...).
So, Thien-our-correspondant-in-the-capsules, thanks for the note, life's an experience but I feel now that I won't have to spend an unnecessary night there. This negative revelation is as positive to me than discovering a new place I must go !
Guzman
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Workshop Editor/Silver Note Writer [C: 271 W: 164 N: 27]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-g-s.gif){kind=small}
(577) 2004-01-04 18:25
I knew they lacked space in Japan..... but this is a "room!!"..... how thick are the walls, because I snore and would clear out the capsules in no time at all (lol) , good idea to post this, as another source of information on this so unusual country....one day I must visit.. how much are you charged for this experience ,
scalerman
(26900) 2004-01-04 20:06
totally cool notes thien, only one thing, what's the cost? I've seen these before on TV, and actually I think they cost more than American rooms that are big. But the sauna makes up for it...
dsidwell
(9783) 2004-01-05 0:03
I laughed out loud at this one, and your image matches the tone, spookiness, and ghastliness of your description! Everything is glowing in a weird and most appropriate way here! Marvelous work, Thien!
zto
(268) 2004-01-05 15:12
This picture gave me mixed feelings at first. The crowded room made me feel unease but the warm colour and soft structure made me feel welcome. I then read your note and saw the humor in the photo. Went on to the area when you talk about the pool and started to freeze. It is seldom a picture and a story can turn felings around in that degre. As to technical details, well, it's nicely composed and the colours are great what more can i say.
philip_coggan
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor [C: 522 W: 19 N: 1]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-s-n.gif){kind=small}
(11) 2004-01-05 16:56
This is one of the best little stories I've ever read! The photo is good but the story really makes it great! Try selling this to your local newspaper - it's really good enough!
Curioso
(9271) 2004-01-05 17:56
Really informative and funny ! I read it several times laughing and calling for my friends (one of them just tried to convince me it was for puppies...).
I've read several things about this but it's the first picture I see !!!
Great photojournalism ! I admire your dedication to inform you : you went up to spend a whole night in that room ?
padam
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 177 W: 53 N: 5]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-g-n.gif){kind=small}
(186) 2004-01-05 19:08
So many times heard about these "rooms", but never seen them in reality. A gap filled thanks to your picture (actually, not in reality, hopefully).
But, I cannot see any toilet here... Maybe under the mattress?
Isabeau
![Gold Star Critiquer [C: 76 W: 0 N: 1]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-n-n.gif){kind=small}
(105) 2004-01-14 17:27
Very humouristic!
Is it exist really ?
Wonderful description ... did you sleep in this ... errr...bedroom ?
lemon_logix
(1054) 2004-01-29 11:11
good notes. I have heard of this before, but have not seen it. Did you sleep well?
maciekda
(19895) 2004-02-18 1:24
this is a very interesting shot and the note.
so I have seen the picture, I have read the story... now I know a bit more aout the world :-)
thanks!
Banlieusardises
![Silver Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 12 W: 2 N: 51]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/s-n-g.gif){kind=small}
(324) 2004-03-16 18:40
Thanks for making us travel here, with the photograph as well as the text. This contribution of yours demonstrates everything I like about TrekEarth :)
doreeneden
(1022) 2004-07-05 17:25
Just discovered this photo and your marvellous description. Luko put it perfectly when he said that there were more meaningful shots than animals etc; this is certainly one of them. I have learned a great deal in the last 15 minutes and had a good laugh along the way. You deserve more than the 2 points I can give you. Well done.
bip-bip
(1837) 2004-10-11 16:29 [Comment]
sayzey
(2358) 2004-11-16 7:06
Thats an interesting look into your mistake of staying there! I was very entertained by your story! and will check out your other photos.
helena_seattle
![Silver Star Critiquer [C: 14 W: 1 N: 6]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/s-n-n.gif){kind=small}
(340) 2004-12-30 20:22 [Comment]
pratyeka
(281) 2005-01-18 18:21 [Comment]
randompics
(961) 2005-07-24 10:06
great shot..i want to stay in these capsule hotels once just to experience it.. your picture is great..even in such a cramped space u manage to make a good composition.
rajhema
(1873) 2005-12-04 8:00
Your narration is hilarious. It also has a ray of your experience in this place. A normal picture turned into extraordinary. Goon one Thien.
Mondaychild
(378) 2007-03-30 3:45
Hi Thien,
I´ve never heard of these "hotels" ... according to your note I wouldn´t ever want to go there ...
A great display of "Daily Life" and a great note!
aralda
(1240) 2007-10-28 9:38
Interesting to learn sbout these capsule hotels! Great that you posted this photo showing the bed taking up the whole room (well, there might be more room for the TV not shown here). This is certainly not the place for a claustrophobic!
Raluca
branley
(3681) 2008-02-06 10:09
Excellent description Thien, I'll give you one point for the photograph and if I could, I'd give you three for the note, but alas......
regards
Stephen
![Silver Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Silver Note Writer [C: 39 W: 26 N: 36]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/s-s-s.gif){kind=small}
Photo Information
-
Copyright: Thien Tran (thien)
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 477 W: 150 N: 210]](//i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-g-g.gif)
(2112) - Genre: Lugares
- Medium: Cor
- Date Taken: 2003-04-01
- Categories: Vida Diária
- Camera: Canon EOS 10D, Sigma 15-30 EX DG IF
- Exposição: f/7.1, 1/13 segundos
- Versão da Foto: Versão Original
- Tema(s): Monocrome [view contributor(s)]
- Date Submitted: 2004-01-04 12:20
- Favoritos: 3 [ver]
Discussions
- The morbid tale... (7)
by thien, last updated 2004-01-07 12:31 - Where's the restroom? (3)
by thien, last updated 2004-01-07 11:10
