In the hustle and bustle of a busy city even the most energetic of us sometimes need to stop and rest, and if you’ve ever missed the last train home (for whatever reason – we’re not judging), you’ll know this only too well.

When the urgent need for sleep overtakes, all that’s actually required is a no frills, head to the pillow, down-to-the-business-of-dreaming resting session. This problem was all too real for Japanese salarymen of the ’70s where the prospect of a long – and intoxicated – train ride home to a probably disapproving wife was often too much to bear after a heavy night out. In 1979 Kisho Kurokawa came up with an ingenious (and thoroughly Japanese) solution: the Capsule Inn Osaka. This was a hotel offering sleep capsules of about 2m x 1m x 1.25m and communal facilities to freshen up. For the price of 2000-4000 yen (about £15-30) salarymen could find somewhere to sleep and repair themselves before heading back to work the next morning, and usually for less than the cost of a train ticket.

Kisho Kurokawa and the Metabolist movement were crucial to the development of the capsule hotel. The Metabolists were a group of architects who believed in combining notions of architectural megastructures with organic, biological growth. What’s an architectural megastructure, you ask? Well, picture all the elements of your daily routine contained within one massive building and you’ve got the basic idea. Metabolists saw architecture as a way to improve the social structure of society, and the most well-known example is the Nakagin Capsule Tower, which, though iconic (eagle-eyed movie aficionados might recognise it from the movie Wolverine) sadly has fallen into disrepair in recent years, but that’s a different blog post entirely…

The founding men of the Metabolist movement – Kurokawa included – were essentially problem solvers who primarily saw architecture and cities as a dynamic and organic process where parts needed to be removable, interchangeable and adaptable. Given this remit, it’s easy to see how they made the leap from Capsule Tower to Capsule hotel.

Although the first capsule hotels were for men only (and many still are), there are now versions for women too, though usually separate. Each capsule hotel varies but the standard sleep capsule includes a TV, electronic console, and internet connection. Patrons’ belongings are stored in lockers away from the sleeping pod and amenities like communal baths, vending machines, and entertainment rooms are often available. Guests check in and out like with your standard hotel, the only difference being that most of the experience is shared to save on space. For many people travelling to Japan, Capsule hotels are a cultural idiosyncrasy worth checking off the ‘to do’ list and you’re as likely to see happy tourists squeezing themselves into those little pods as you are inebriated salarymen.

With their ever-increasing popularity, capsule hotels are evolving to include novelty options, so no matter what you’re into there is probably a capsule hotel for you. Niche hotels include Hotel Sleeps in Tokyo, which has an entertainment room boasting over 4000 manga for your perusing pleasure, Nine Hours in Kyoto focuses on the sleeping aspect of your stay so have thought this through with a scrupulous amount of detail, and then there’s New Japan Cabana Capsule in Osaka which offers a fully equipped fitness centre.

Recent years have seen the Pod Hotel making its way into the European market, but in a slightly larger western variant of the capsule hotel where rooms tend to be around 7sqm. The first one to open was Yotel in Gatwick, soon followed by City Hub in Amsterdam. Go Sleep in Helsinki has a slightly different take on the idea with freestanding cocoons that you climb in, pull the lid over, and your seat reclines into a bed making a lovely little resting chamber (or, ahem, coffin?)

Given that space is at a premium in London and the city bulges at the seams during the height of tourist season, it was inevitable that the capsule concept would find its place over here sooner or later and it seems to have landed. For solo travellers, those on a budget and people who view hotels as a place to sleep and nothing more, they’re perfect, and though the truly authentic capsule seems destined to remain in Japan (we don’t really share our Japanese counterparts’ enthusiasm for closely shared spaces, do we?) the more spacious – and more private – versions we’re seeing now are certainly there in spirit, if not square inches.

We can’t say that our boxes are suitable for having a kip in exactly, but they are sufficiently spacious to hold any items that you might not need right now. So if you are planning a trip to a real-live, authentic Japanese Capsule Hotel and need some temporary storage whilst you’re travelling, or if you just feel like your flat has the dimensions of a Capsule hotel and you’re drowning in excess stuff, Boxman can help you out. For just £5 a month, we’ll deliver empty boxes right to your door, leaving you time to pack them up as you see fit. We’ll pick them up again when you’re ready, whisk them off to our secure warehouse and we’ll return them to you when you’re ready. Easy, peasy, eh?

Featured Image via Cabana Capsule Hotel, Japan