By Adam Cooper
Copyright brisbanetimes
Spending the night in a large room close to strangers used to be par for the course when travelling. But unlike backpacker hostels, which were often frequented by loud revellers, my son and I find our section deathly quiet. A handful of capsules have roller blinds pulled down, and there’s not a peep from anyone inside.
When it comes to noise in public places, Japan takes silence seriously – phone calls on trains are a no-no, drivers rarely blast horns, streets are not for yelling – and this place prohibits phone calls, loud noises, and talking and eating in sleep areas. We make an extra effort to button it, even stifling a shriek when bashing a shin on a ladder rung.
It’s a touch warm with the central heating on, but come the next morning, we all report good sleeps, albeit the girls had a bulldozer snoring nearby. The gendered floors and elevators meant everyone felt safe.
Large gendered bathrooms are excellent and full of travellers readying for their next leg and, pleasingly, a handful of business types adjusting ties and smoothing shirts. It always feels a lot more authentic when following the local lead.
