Nine Hours Capsule Hotel (Akasaka)

First launched in 2009, Nine Hours now has eight locations around Japan, including at Narita Airport, and in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Sendai. They have a women’s only hotel in Kanda, and their newest property opened in Akasaka on May 10.

Since capsule hotels are meant to offer short stays for urbanites, Nine Hours has created a design style and ambiance that encourages guests to get out and about and explore the city. Walking past their Akasaka property, you can glimpse the cute, comfy capsules through the huge glass windows, so there’s a sense of no barrier between inside and outside. And their name? It’s based on the total amount of time generally needed for the three basic actions of each guest: shower (one hour), sleep (seven hours), get dressed (one hour) = nine hours.