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Living In Tokyo's Capsule Hotels
afabbro writes "Capsule Hotel Shinjuku 510 once offered a night’s refuge to salarymen who had missed the last train home. Now with Japan enduring its worst recession since World War II, it is becoming an affordable option for people with nowhere else to go. The Hotel 510’s capsules are only 6 1/2 feet long by 5 feet wide. Guests must keep possessions, like shirts and shaving cream, in lockers outside of the capsules. Atsushi Nakanishi, jobless since Christmas says, 'It’s just a place to crawl into and sleep. You get used to it.'”
FTFA: "$640 A month for an upper bunk... But with no upfront deposit or extra utility charges, and basic amenities like fresh linens and free use of a communal bath and sauna, the cost is far less than renting an apartment in Tokyo"
That's 600 a month + the cost of food for everything you need to maintain your health till you find another job.
Some people don't have parents to go home to. Others have been kicked out. Believe me, the people -living- there aren't exactly there because they enjoy it.
I did 6 months of that multiple times. Its not too bad.
Then again, your paycheck is being deposited to the proper account, the chow is regular and nutritious, and the guys next to you are your fellow sailors.
I imagine it's an entirely different experience when your looking for a job, counting the remaining yen in your wallet, lying next to a bunch of strangers similar only in their unfortunate circumstances.
Now it makes sense that a friend in the Navy told me, everyone with half a brain tries to get on a carrier instead of a sub.
Everyone with half a brain joined the Air Force instead of the Navy. Not having a private room as an E5 was considered a hard ship and you got an apology for it.