Friday, October 18, 2013

Japan: "I lost the last train! Where will I sleep now?"

Last friday I was having some sake in an izakaya - that's how a typical japanese bar is called - and forgot that had passed midnight. Then, I had my last shot very quickly and ran to take the last train to come back home.

The japanese transportation is very good, but the only bad thing is: it only works until 12am, sometimes until 1am. After it, you need to wait until 5am, which is when the first train starts to run. 

While I was running to the station, the only thing that could think was: "If I lose the last train, where will I sleep?". Luckly I took it just in time, otherwise there would be no option but stay awake in Tokyo until the morning comes, right? Wrong! 

Japan - at least Tokyo, the place where I live -  has bunch of options for people who lose the last train or need to sleep somewhere else exceptionally. 

Manga Cafe

Manga Cafe is one of them. A friend of mine told me about it, actually there is one near to my house. Although it looks like a place where people only go to read comic books, you can also rent a private small space to stay overnight for¥2000 (same as US$ 20 approximately). It's not very comfortable, but you can rest, use internet, read manga, eat and drink if you want.

Another option is a Capsule Hotel. First time I saw it was in a documentary about Japan, these hotels were originally developed for business men who eventually have no time to catch the last train for staying at their company until very late, but now it's often used by many kind of people, including low budget travelers.

Capsule Hotels

The price to stay overnight is about ¥3500 (US$ 35 more or less) and, although it doesn't look so nice at first impression, the capsules have air conditioner, internet and a small TV. That's what a friend who slept there once said. Doesn't seem to be recommended for claustrophobic persons.

Love Hotels


If you need a comfortable and spacious bed to have a good rest, a love hotel is a good option. Of course people look for this kind of place with other intentions, but you can also use it only to sleep. The cost varies from ¥5000 to ¥10000 (between US$ 50 and US$ 100) per night. 

Other options

If you have no much money or just want to hang around until the morning, there are other things you can do during the night in Tokyo. In busy districts like Shibuya, Shinjuku and Roppongi, for example, there are big stores which work 24 hours and where you can go and spend sometime.

If you have lost the train once and want to tell your story, leave a comment. If you used this moment to take good pictures of the nightlife in your city, upload them in Taptrip and share with people in the whole world.
 
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