Encapsulating Asakusa, or Beer and Sensory Deprivation

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"Norman Stanley Fletcher (clank!)..."We voluntarily incarcerate ourselves a capsulte hotel. I was prisoner 4019, or so said the PJs the super provided. Each inmate surrenders their worldly goods at a tiny locker and crawls into sleeping "quarters" about the size of an upturned wardrobe.

The 13 quid per night is considerably less than a taxi fare back to the 'burbs if you're a drunken salaryman who has missed the last train. Increasingly travellers who only use their hotel as a flop house (i.e. us) are enjoying the novelty value of this quirky accom. We entered into the spirit of the occasion by first thoroughly testing the wares at Asahi's microbrewery, where the Porter has an excellent coffee like twang and and smooth finish while the Super Dry both quenches Steve's "just gimme a lager" thirst and satisfies Karl's self-confessed beer fascism. True to Tokyo form, the service at our oaken gentleman's club -style bar was amazing. After finessing the PERFECT pint from the tap, your barman dunks each glass in a little bucket of water to clean it - class in a glass! Oh, and the Asahi building looks like a huge glass of lager, albeit with a giant golden sperm inexplicably perched on the roof.

For the first time on this trip we've consumed more beers than pastries in a day - get out here Karl, we need help!!!

During daylight hours we wandered Asakusa, an area on which Lonely Planet was lukewarm but which I thought was tremendous. An aside - has the author of Lonely Planet Japan actually been to Tokyo?! Everything he recommends is a pile of dirty travelling undies, and most the good stuff isn't mentioned. He also describes Tokyo as "noisy" - has he ever been to any other cities? You hardly hear a car beep here, and in the 'burbs you can hear birds - yes birds with wings; those tweety things we only hear in London on the way back from Steve & Sarah's at 5am on Saturday morning. Boo Lonely Planet. Yes Asakusa - lurvely complex of Buddhist statues, shrines and tombs. Bit touristified but what can you expect. Colour scheme was red white and black, so as a Manyoo fan I was contented.

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Photos

A temple guardian...
...watches atop a turtle

Bake at 190 degrees for 35 minutes
Stace in his capsule