Here's my "capsule" which I'm staying for a night in Tokyo. At 3000yen, it's more expensive than the budget hotel I stayed in (in a previous post). Let me roll back a bit with some background information. For those not familiar, Tokyo's property prices is one of the highest in the world (I think it's either first or second...). Thus, hotels are very expensive. A couple of decades ago, these "capsule hotels" start appearing. Instead of a room, you only get a "capsule". They are layed one on top of the other as you can see in the picture. And there are many (about 40) of these in a big room. These hotels cater to businessmen that miss the night train home, as most people live in suburban Tokyo. In addition, after work socialization is part of the business culture there, so this is a huge market. Anyway, long story short, because these capsule hotels are so unique, eventually the foreigners catch on and you can find them being mentioned in practically all tourist guides of Tokyo. And that is the reason why I stayed there for a night.
First thought I had when I saw it is that it's pretty good. True that it's no comparison to a real room, but it certainly isn't a coffin either. The height of it is about 1.5 meters, 1m wide, and about 2.5m long. You can easily sit up to watch your personal mini-TV within the capsule. It also has a light, radio, and clock built into the side panel. The whole capsule is more like a plastic shower mold tilted to the side as it seems to be made up of the same material. You have a curtain at the opening for privacy. Ventilation is very good at the place, so don't worry about getting stuffy. The only annoyance I had with my stay is the noise. Late in the night, when the drunk businessmen start arriving, they can cause a racket. Add to that, many snored in their sleep. Lucky that I have my earplugs in. There's a washroom and a common area for people to smoke in another room, so don't worry about being smoked. The Japanese style bath is on another floor. Perhaps I might describe these later on as they're different from the western type. Heck, everything's different there. Anyway, everything's very clean and tidy at the capsule hotel, so I do recommend you try it for yet another "been there done that" experience in Tokyo. Just remember to bring earplugs!
For the ladies though, make sure the capsule hotel you'd like to go welcome female and provide a separate area with equal service (I've seen one where their female room only provide airplane-style recliners instead of capsule beds). As most of these places are male only. Not that for any dirty reason, but merely because there are very few female patrons. My group stayed at Asakusa Riverside and the girls were quite happy with their stay. Furthermore, Asakusa is a nice district in Tokyo with many things to see and do.

The gate to Meiji Shrine in Tokyo. A very long and serene path from this point to the actual shrine. Lots of vegetations and humongous trees. I definitely didn't expect to find a place like this within Tokyo.

This picture is taken at the end of Omote-Sando, just before entering the Meiji area. Omote-Sando is a street lined with boutiques known for their haute couture. Another destination worth visiting if you're into the fashion scene. Meiji is well known for its Meiji shrine. The biggest shrine in Tokyo. The old meets new, east meets west mantra of this unique location has its effects on the billboards too. However, the main reason why I took this photo is because I noticed that if you were to come up with a story by the signs from top to bottom... (FYI: Sapporo is a beer brand)

Minami-Senju, Tokyo. The photo is of a street near my hotel. There are many cheap hotels in that area. The cheapest place is New Koyo for 2500yen/night. However, I would strongly discourage anyone staying there. The place is dirty and dark (looks like a prison), lots of weirdos, always a line for showers, and the worst of all, the host has a bad temper! As an alternative, New Azuma is only a few minutes walk from New Koyo and is only slightly more expensive. At 2700yen/night. It has fewer rooms, so less crowd. Simply much better atmosphere for my taste. And the old man and daughter at the counter there are very nice. Both places speaks English, by the way.

Apparently this is a very famous restaurant at Ginza, Tokyo. It just happens to be under the bridge of a railway. Ginza is THE high-end fashion district of Tokyo.

I spotted this at Ebisu, Tokyo. No Pizza Hut in Japan. But they have Domino's Pizza! Do they still exist in Canada? Ebisu is a more relaxing urban area in Tokyo. With fair amounts of sightseeings, shops and restaurants. Relaxing as in less cars, less people, etc. "Less" relative to Tokyo central, of course. I had one of the best lunches in Ebisu at a famous, but expensive restaurant. Katsuyoshi in Ebisu Garden Place Tower to be exact. There are many nice restaurants inside the towers, by the way. Might be worth the trip if you have a few hours to spare in Tokyo. I went at lunch on a weekday, so they have "bento" specials. A nifty custom to know in Tokyo for travellers. Here's the gist of it. On a weekday, non-holiday, find a expensive eatery, preferably in a business district, and ask for the "bento" menu. (make sure you do this before you go in and sit down) These are set lunches at about a THIRD of their usual dinner price to attact local business people. Travellers greatly benefit from this too.