Julian Crowley
Capsule hotels sprang up in Japan in the late ‘70s to cater for businessmen who worked too late or drank too much to make the long commute home. The first capsule hotel opened its doors in 1979 in the city of Osaka. And in view of high rent prices, the cost of spending the night in a regular hotel, and overcrowding in large cities, capsule hotels fill a cost-saving niche in the Japanese market. The simple bed-in-a-box concept has blossomed into a booming business model.
Companies around the world are beginning to see the importance of scaling down and conserving energy – so perhaps they could find some inspiration in these 15 incredible Japanese capsule hotels.
