Capsule Inn Osaka (Review)
The 1rst Capsule Hotel With a Spa in Japan
Capsule Inn Osaka is a 3-star capsule hotel located in a covered shopping alley of Umeda district in the north of Osaka in Japan. It is the world’s and Japan’s 1rst hotel of its type to open at the end of the 1970s. A male customers-only establishment, this authentic capsule hotel also provides a relaxing spa and sauna center.
Capsule Inn Osaka is nestled in a typical shotengai shopping street of Umeda district and is the very 1rst world’s capsule hotel 🏨, opened in 1979. It was designed by architect Kisho Kurokawa (1934 – 2007), one of the founders of the Metabolism movement. In its times an innovative accommodation type, it translates the concept of a "21th century business hotel," that is to say a convenient and affordable solution for salarymen to stay near their workplace when they couldn’t go back home.
🏨 Historical men-only hotel
Ever since its inauguration and following the Japanese capsule hotels’ primary concept, Capsule Inn Osaka has remained for adult men only (男性用 dansei-yo), aged 19 years and older. Women and children are consequently not allowed to stay at the hotel.
The pods’ comfort nonetheless evolved to adapt to a local and international customer base, including tourists visiting Osaka. Thus, the hotel has several types of capsules:
- The "Standard" type dating back to 1979;
- The "Superior" available since the 2000’s;
- The "Deluxe" inaugurated in the beginning of the 2020’s; and,
- The "New Deluxe", the newest ones dating back to May 2025.
Private rooms (with a door) for 1 to 3 guests are also available, with a total capacity of about 380 beds. The lowest price, ¥4,400 (~US$27.79) the night per person when we visited, is quite attractive and is frequently applied to a Sunday night booking or a stay in the beginning of the week, avoiding weekends and holidays.
Staying overnight in a capsule hotel is highly recommended to traveler looking for an original experience in Japan, which is better enjoyed when knowing the few following tips:
- Shoes are to be left at the entrance, and customers are allowed to walk inside the hotel in socks or barefoot.
- Business attire is to be changed for an indoor robe provided by the hotel to every customer. A bath robe and a swim suit are also provided for the bathing area.
- A pod is the size of the bed; guests can only lie down or sit but not stand upright.
- All pods are equipped with air conditioning, that can be switched off if necessary.
- There is also a small TV set, an electric socket, an alarm clock and a bedside lamp.
- Bringing ear plugs is recommended to minimize the nuisance of other customers (walking noise, snoring, sheets movements, etc.)
- A pod is closed by a simple curtain, there is no secured and locked door. Consequently, all belongings – small case, backpack, valuables – are to be put away in the coin lockers provided for that purpose.
- Pods are stacked on each other and the highest ones are accessible by a few steps protruding from the wall. Some capsules of the "New Deluxe" category offer a little bit more of intimacy, without neighbors on the sides or above, and a desk area (see pictures).
- Toilets and showers are shared and available at several floors.
- A laundry room is available for a fee.
All the rooms at Capsule Inn Osaka are non-smoking areas. Eating in bed is also prohibited: several lounge areas and restaurants in the hotel are available for customers to eat. It is possible to watch TV in a lounge, work at a desk, have a drink or eat a typical Japanese meal (donburi, yakitori, curry, etc.) during the restaurant’s opening hours.
Upon check-in, customers receive a bracelet-key displaying the number of the capsule or the room and a bar code, which is used to record all the purchases made at the hotel. The bill of the stay is to be paid the next day when checking out.
If staying more than one night and regardless how many nights you’ll stay, you have to check-in and check out every day. When staying 1 night only, we recommend checking-in early to have the whole evening and make the most of the hotel’s services. Note that when staying several consecutive nights, vacating the capsule every morning is still required, as the hotel’s night areas must be cleaned every day according to the official regulations imposed on this type of accommodation in Japan. Suitcases and belongings can be stored in a locker at the hotel during the day.
♨️ Spa and sauna for a relaxing break in Umeda
Beside the accommodation facility, the Capsule Inn Osaka is completed by a spa and a sauna whose access is included in the price of the hotel night. This wellness center is also open to general male customers, 24/7 except during the maintenance period (Monday morning).
This large urban spa in northern Osaka’ business district has several pools and miscellaneous installations over 4 floors, such as:
- An indoor pool, not too deep, but with a counter-current swimming system (swimsuit mandatory);
- Several types of sauna, with different ambiances and temperatures;
- Several smaller cool pools called mizuburo;
- Sento type traditional hot baths;
- An open-air rotenburo bath in a cypress wood tub and a Jacuzzi on the rooftop; and,
- A tanning bed.
Relaxing cares (massages, scrubbing) are also available at affordable prices. Note however that tattoos are forbidden in the spa area but tolerated in the hotel. Tattooed customers can indeed use the individual shower cabins separated from the shared bath space.
We recommend the Capsule Inn Osaka both for its historical aspects and for its combined offer of spa and sauna, that is really interesting in the heart of Umeda district. It provides a good relaxing time to better enjoy the unusual experience of sleeping in a capsule room.
