Adventure
Alien
Around town
Aussie
Australian
Bath
Drink
Food
Fun
Green Tea
Japan
Japanese
March
New experience
Onsen
Tokyo
"Let's do it."
We walked, or more accurately: froze in the 4 degree, windy weather, progressively talking less and shivering more. After a while Taro said, "So are you hungry?" "I could eat." Deal struck, we headed for a nearby 24 hour... place. I forget what it was called, but Taro informed me that it was the equivalent of a noodle fast food joint.
To purchase your meal, you turn to a machine right next to the door upon entering. From it, you insert coins and select the meal you would prefer, of a possible... hundred or so per machine, of different sizes and types. This machine then gives you a piece of paper in return for your hard earned cash, which you then take to your seat with you. After finding a seat, you place your $5-$10 piece of paper on a nearby wall, and quickly enough this also will be taken from you by a waiter. Now that you have been stolen from by both a machine and a person, you will quickly be given a consolatory cup of green tea.
With our green tea, Taro and I talked again for a while, at which point I remarked on the fact that it was 1:45am, and not only was there another patron when we entered, but that this place was open like this constantly. In no time at all we were supplied with our meal, and enjoyed it, feeling much warmer. Too soon was this reprise over, bracing ourselves we ventured again into the chill night air. The walk ahead, I was informed, was a daunting one, 15 or so minutes in this weather, at a decent pace. We walked through Nihonbashi (literally Japan Bridge), which I was told could also be pronounced 'super central Tokyo' in a pinch.
Upon arriving at our destination we removed our shoes and put them in a locker, standard. Following this we ventured to the front desk and Taro purchased what seemed to be rooms... or something. From here we went into a second area with more lockers, larger lockers, and stripped off everything but our underwear, and putting on pyjamas that were provided, standard also. Finally we entered a 3rd room with some more lockers, in which we placed everything we had with us, pyjamas; undies; towel; and small towel. Butt naked we entered onsen proper, and went through the motions of cleaning everywhere; shaving; brushing our teeth and everything else you could imagine. Even at 2am there were several people in here with us.
After bathing we donned again our pyjamas, and headed out again to the front desk. After some more conversing with the staff there, Taro and I headed for a different floor, 'to sleep?' I guessed. Slowly we entered a dark room; in front of me I could see what appeared to be a bunk bed with 2 different beds and a curtain. Odd. As we approached a hall opened off to the left, down this corridor, lining both sides was over 30 similar bunk beds. We walked past this corridor and came to another one similar, bunk beds as far as the eye could see.
Walking down this corridor we came to the beds possessing the numbers on our tickets. "Goodnight, see you in the morning!" Climbing in to this bed was like climbing into a box, inside there was a TV suspended over the foot of the bed, with headphones and different contraptions by the pillow. 'Lucky I'm only 5, 11,' I thought to myself as I lay down, with my feet touching one end and my head scraping the other.
How alien: sleeping in a small bed, surrounded by several floors of sleeping Japanese, in the middle of Tokyo. Weird.
Epilogue:
Every time I rolled over that night and hit the wall I would wake up, afraid I'd wake everyone else. This was the biggest problem though, there was little to no snoring and it was a comfy bed. I recommend the experience.
The next day, Taro informed me that the place we stayed was called Capsule Hotel. Suitable.
Enlightenment: Part II
[Continued directly from 'Enlightenment']"Let's do it."
We walked, or more accurately: froze in the 4 degree, windy weather, progressively talking less and shivering more. After a while Taro said, "So are you hungry?" "I could eat." Deal struck, we headed for a nearby 24 hour... place. I forget what it was called, but Taro informed me that it was the equivalent of a noodle fast food joint.
To purchase your meal, you turn to a machine right next to the door upon entering. From it, you insert coins and select the meal you would prefer, of a possible... hundred or so per machine, of different sizes and types. This machine then gives you a piece of paper in return for your hard earned cash, which you then take to your seat with you. After finding a seat, you place your $5-$10 piece of paper on a nearby wall, and quickly enough this also will be taken from you by a waiter. Now that you have been stolen from by both a machine and a person, you will quickly be given a consolatory cup of green tea.
With our green tea, Taro and I talked again for a while, at which point I remarked on the fact that it was 1:45am, and not only was there another patron when we entered, but that this place was open like this constantly. In no time at all we were supplied with our meal, and enjoyed it, feeling much warmer. Too soon was this reprise over, bracing ourselves we ventured again into the chill night air. The walk ahead, I was informed, was a daunting one, 15 or so minutes in this weather, at a decent pace. We walked through Nihonbashi (literally Japan Bridge), which I was told could also be pronounced 'super central Tokyo' in a pinch.
Upon arriving at our destination we removed our shoes and put them in a locker, standard. Following this we ventured to the front desk and Taro purchased what seemed to be rooms... or something. From here we went into a second area with more lockers, larger lockers, and stripped off everything but our underwear, and putting on pyjamas that were provided, standard also. Finally we entered a 3rd room with some more lockers, in which we placed everything we had with us, pyjamas; undies; towel; and small towel. Butt naked we entered onsen proper, and went through the motions of cleaning everywhere; shaving; brushing our teeth and everything else you could imagine. Even at 2am there were several people in here with us.
After bathing we donned again our pyjamas, and headed out again to the front desk. After some more conversing with the staff there, Taro and I headed for a different floor, 'to sleep?' I guessed. Slowly we entered a dark room; in front of me I could see what appeared to be a bunk bed with 2 different beds and a curtain. Odd. As we approached a hall opened off to the left, down this corridor, lining both sides was over 30 similar bunk beds. We walked past this corridor and came to another one similar, bunk beds as far as the eye could see.
Walking down this corridor we came to the beds possessing the numbers on our tickets. "Goodnight, see you in the morning!" Climbing in to this bed was like climbing into a box, inside there was a TV suspended over the foot of the bed, with headphones and different contraptions by the pillow. 'Lucky I'm only 5, 11,' I thought to myself as I lay down, with my feet touching one end and my head scraping the other.
How alien: sleeping in a small bed, surrounded by several floors of sleeping Japanese, in the middle of Tokyo. Weird.
Epilogue:
Every time I rolled over that night and hit the wall I would wake up, afraid I'd wake everyone else. This was the biggest problem though, there was little to no snoring and it was a comfy bed. I recommend the experience.
The next day, Taro informed me that the place we stayed was called Capsule Hotel. Suitable.
Posts
wow crazy benny (i'd put an exclimation mark in here but the one died on my keyboard) love you *exclimation*
ReplyDeletebut did you get to use the pools of the onsen in the morning? You sure are getting to experience it all! I had read about those capsule hotels, but now you have slept in one. Apparently they are frequented by businessmen who live too far from their work, or just work late & so there is no point going home.
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