While Japan looks pretty modern on the surface, it's conservative in many areas. Most of its quirky capsule hotels have gender-segregated rooms or, in the best-case scenario, all-gender but in separate pods.
When you look for capsule hotels for two people in the search engines, you will find plenty of results, but most are traditional hotels with private rooms.
So, we have filtered through all of them and listed all the actual capsule hotels where you can stay in one bed in a "coffin" with your loved one!
If you are a couple, ensure you are not booking a male—or female-only capsule hotel because they are very common in Tokyo. The former is especially common, as initially, these places served mostly businessmen.
On top of that, even if the hotel does indeed host both genders, the building is usually split into male and female sections, often without an overlap in common areas. So look up these details before booking. Otherwise, you could spend all your time separated in different parts of the hotel during your stay.
Note that many capsule hotels offer "2 rooms" when searching for double occupancy, which means two individual, single-person beds, not double beds in one capsule.
The famous Book and Bed is a small capsule hotel chain in Japan with two properties. One is in Shinjuku, one of the hippest districts of Tokyo, and the other is in Shinsaibashi, Osaka's main shopping area. Don't let the name fool you—"Book and Bed Tokyo Shinsaibashi" is indeed in Osaka!
Both hotels offer a couple-friendly experience with two options. The more affordable choice is a capsule featuring a double-size bed measuring 4.3 x 6.6 feet (130 cm x 200 cm).
If you seek a bit more space (horizontally and vertically, AKA the capsule room for claustrophobes), the superior room stretches to 4.6 x 8.9 feet (140 cm x 270 cm). You can close both of these with a thick curtain for more privacy and to block the light.
For those who prefer a private capsule hotel experience, the Global Hotel Tokyo offers an exclusive option. You can book private VIP rooms with bunk beds, which are ideal for first-timers who may be apprehensive about sharing a room with strangers. Plus, nobody will check if you are sleeping in the same capsule...
The hotel is a high-rated and affordable option in the Shinjuku Ward district of Tokyo.
Another example of gender discrimination is by Glansit Akihabara, which offers private rooms with two capsule beds, but only in case opposite genders do not share it.
The twin capsule has a bunk bed, and the hotel recommends staying with friends, highlighting that it "cannot be used by both men and women."
Alternatively, the Resol Poshtel Tokyo Asakusa offers the opportunity to rent an entire room with capsules for 5 to 12 people.