Tokyo airport's $5 capsule hotel is a commuter's dream—perfect for those who aren’t claustrophobic

Airports are vast and often poorly organized, offering little comfort for travelers stuck there for long hours. Being confined to lounges isn’t much better either. The inconvenience of boarding flights can lead to a stressful experience, something no one wants. Narita Airport in Tokyo, Japan, has a futuristic and pocket-friendly solution to this. The airport's incredible capsule hotel recently gained massive attention online after traveler Bryan James (@bryanjamescruises on TikTok) featured it in one of his videos. Located in the Shinjuku area, the “Nine Hours Narita Airport” hotel offers customers hourly booking options with a premium touch.

In the video, James can be seen entering the capsule hotel with multiple pods. “This is my ‘$5 hotel’ in Tokyo. It’s a little capsule hotel at the airport, and you can book it by the hour while you’re waiting for your next flight,” the narration says, accompanied by stunning visuals. The man continues, walking through rows of pods, clearly amazed, and explains that staying in one could cost as little as five bucks an hour.

Following this, the 44-second video shows hygienic bathrooms built inside the "$5 hotel." James explains that travelers coming to or leaving Japan can stay there on an hourly basis. After checking in at the hotel, "they give you a nice little goodie bag and also a place to store your luggage,” he adds. Once that is settled, travelers can crawl into their respective pods and rest until it is time for their departure.

Each pod comes equipped with one outlet and a light bulb, as James shows in the clip. “There’s even soft music you can play in the background to help you forget that you’re sleeping in a coffin. Besides having your own little bed, everything else is shared,” he explains. According to him, there’s a locker room, showers and a very nice and very clean bathroom. “There are hundreds and hundreds of these pods,” the reviewer says while sharing his unique experience on camera. Furthermore, the man claims he’d definitely like to stay at “Nine Hours Narita Airport” again. “I don’t know why we don’t have these (capsule hotels) in the United States,” he concludes, asking viewers the “important question” of whether they would stay at the hotel. 

Narita Airport’s official website describes it as a useful facility “for customers leaving on early morning flights, as well as those needing a place to stay after or in between flights.” The interesting video captured the interest of many, gaining over 4.8 million views. It was also reshared by u/WhattheDuck9 on Reddit, where many shared their thoughts on the unique hotel. u/doxingiSAFEloni911 commented, “We’d destroy this place in the US.” u/Lizzy_0f_Galtar remarked, “I can't even buy a gas station sandwich in my country for five bucks.” “Not a bad idea for airports. It saves you the whole issue of having to find a hotel if your flight gets delayed or if you want to drive in the middle of the night to avoid traffic,” u/TamsinWindlow said. u/dont_trip_ added “Extremely cheap I'd say. Remember someone gotta change and wash sheets and clean over the pod after each guest, that alone would cost $30+ where I live. Then there is the extremely expensive rental space at airports, management, construction and all other forms of upkeep.”

You can follow Bryan James (@bryanjamescruises on TikTok) for more travel content.