I stayed at a capsule hotel just a block away from the station this summer, that was quite the experience. I was there for not even 3 full weeks but I think I'll feel nostalgic for Japan for the rest of my life, a strange and stunning country.
I hear the first impression that is the dominant experience most foreigners get is very superficial. When you live there it's actually very different and it doesn't quite match up to the initial illusion you get from vacationing there. But I wouldn't know, I just vacationed there and had the exact same experience as you.
Nah I think the negative aspects of living there aren't apparent when you're vacationing there. The working culture there and making friends is very different.
People who visit Asian cities the first time romanticize the hell out of them and base their entire understanding on a culture they couldn’t hope to penetrate on a first viewing. This is a known problem with pretty much every “expat” circle in these cities - it’s noticeably more pronounced.
(I have lived in or spent significant time in all of these cities you listed)
I'm not so sure about London. I visited once for a week and decided that I wouldn't like to live there because it's so crowded, but maybe the big city goodies (especially the museums, access to global food and public transport) would make it worth it. If it wasn't obvious, I come from a very small town.
Now that I have lived there, all of that was very much confirmed.
I spent a few nights in capsule hotels, I was surprised at how not claustrophobic it was.
What most people don't realize is everything there is around the capsules. Usually, when you enter the hotel, you start by going to the locker room. There you put in all the stuff you won't need for the night, that is, essentially everything. You may even get a yukata robe, a towel and some toiletries, so it can be literally everything, including your clothes.
Then you can take advantage of the amities and relax. You may find showers, hot baths, massage chairs, etc... Only when it is time to sleep you go to your capsule, which is essentially like a bunk bed with privacy, maybe with a bit of equipment like a TV, alarm clock, charging plug...
Now, I probably wouldn't stay in a capsule hotel for 3 weeks, but I could definitely spend 3 weeks backpacking, stopping in capsule hotels for the night. It is not really designed as a place to stay, more like a place to spend the night with no preparation. Also, while it is cheaper than regular hotels, it is not that cheap, and if you really want cheap, there are other options.
I stayed in APA business hotels for two weeks, often the same price as the capsule hotels even when I booked them the same day and you get a very acceptable room and bathroom.
Often when I say that people tell me not to support the big hotelier chains and offer some independent options, which I might try next trip. I do think people might be a bit misguided though, independent or not they are still faceless hotel chains. Which one gets my $60 is hardly a matter of social responsibility.
If you are like me and are there for the urbanism, staying in a businesd hotel fits the atmosphere honestly. They're commoditized hotels, perfectly serviceable, pragmatic like much of urban life there.
Things may have changed, but I remember capsule hotels being more around $30 than $60, so, about half of what you pay for in a business hotel. Ballpark numbers.
It brings me to my other point. Capsule hotels are best when you are travelling alone. As a couple, they don't really make sense. In fact, some capsule hotels are for men only, or have men and women in separate areas. This is because they often feature public baths and there is some nudity involved, which is normal in Japan.
Curtain is still a step up from a bed in shared room at a hostel. Personally I’ve never felt unsafe in a hostel, a little exposed at times, and annoyed when people turn up drunk and make noise getting into bed, but not unsafe.
I was at a hotel in the UK in a big shared bunk room and some French dudes got into a drunken fist fight in the room at 3am and after it was settled proceeded to snore the loudest I've ever heard anyone snore. Most people left at 5am. Do not recommend that experience.
Japan has a weird mix of nice people, affordable/good food, historical structures that are well preserved, and modern/futuristic buildings/transportation. It is an "easy" place to visit, not expensive, good public transportation, and lots of well known things to go see (that are more than just tourist traps).
For a first timer, I suggest spending more time in Kyoto and Osaka and less time in Tokyo (but generally, you do Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka on your first trip there and then diverge from that if you go back).
For me, it was simply how it was incredibly alien and incredibly familiar at the same time. Everything was different, but if you’re at all a nerd (and you’re on HN so…) you’ve been exposed to Japanese culture.
That and it was all so friendly, easy to get around, beautiful, etc. It’s a wonderful vacation for people that just like to walk around and explore.
