The lowest form of hotel is the what I call the Internet Booth (pictured above). Internet Booths are to be found in internet clubs like Kaikatsu Club, a 24 hour club for "net nanmin," or "net refugees." Net refugees are young men and women who do not wish to spend time at home. Instead, they become a member of clubs such as Kaikatsu Club. The Club is always open, always welcoming! It provides drinks and simple foods such as fried pork, hamburgers, noodles. It provides DVDs of your favorite movies and copies of your favorite manga and magazines. You get free internet access, and I believe they even have a shower.
On entering, you can choose from three types of booth: business type (with a work station), massage-chair type, or "lie down and rest" type. The booths are about as big as a handicapped toilet stall, and they are just that: booths. It's like a cubicle where the wall doesn't go all the way down to the floor. There's no ceiling, and they don't turn the lights off at night.
I mention all of this because, due to my own stupidity, I ended up in Morioka with no hotel reservation. Fate is generally kind to me, so I trustingly approached a hotel desk expecting to be given a room.
No luck! All hotels in the city were booked! Shaken, I remembered that last summer Carrie (my Japanese friend from Nagoya) had gotten me a membership at Kaikatsu Club. Not only that, I had seen a Kaikatsu Club from the train. I took a taxi to the Club, where I easily checked in and prepared to spend the night. After paying the equivalent of $15, I was shown to a booth and left to my own devices. Lying down, I threw my jacket over my head to hide from the overhead lights, stuffed my earplugs in (although net refugees are notoriously quiet-- they just lurk in their booths), and prepared for a night of restless sleep.
I have now experienced the lowest of the low!
That does not sound pleasant, but I think sleeping in the street might be worse!
ReplyDeleteSo glad to read these posts from you. Curt and Ben were here yesterday and we celebrated the not-Rapture with just-in-case ice cream sandwiches and pizza. (Julia was truly worried; the rest of us not so much).
We miss you and are very grateful for your updates!
I have never heard of such an establishmet - it sounds kind of enjoyable, except perhaps as a substitute for a place to sleep. Still, I'm pretty sure that Sara is right and it beats the alternative. Safe, warm, dry and a place to lie down and/or shower. A big adventure - you are very intrepid!
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