Many capsule hotels in Japan accept Bitcoin payments

Since the Japanese government began to recognize Bitcoin, more and more merchants in the country have accepted it as a payment option. This includes some of Japan’s iconic capsule hotels.

Capsule hotel accepts Bitcoin payments

Capsule hotels are everywhere in Japan. Forbes once reported: "They are not like other residences. Each room has more than a dozen beds, with beds, lights and sometimes even TVs in separate spaces."

Japanese bitcoin exchange Coincheck has provided merchant payment solutions to two capsule hotels. Anshin Oyado Capsule Hotel has been accepting bitcoin payments since March, while another hotel, Comicap, started offering the service last Friday.

Coincheck has said it holds a 99% market share in bitcoin payments. The company's website states that it charges a 1% fee on each bitcoin transaction, which is only one-fifth to one-third of the fee charged for credit card transactions. Bitcoin payments are then converted into Japanese yen and deposited into the merchant's account.

Since last Friday, Comicap, which is operated by Runsystem, has adopted Coincheck's system to accept Bitcoin payments.

Runsystem has two Comicap capsule hotels. In addition, according to Kagayaki Kawabata, head of business development at Coincheck, the company also operates a cafe. However, these related businesses have not started accepting Bitcoin payments. Comicap Hotel announced:

Starting from last Friday, June 16, customers can use Bitcoin to book hotel rooms on Coincheck devices, with the Bitcoin payment service provided by Coincheck.

In March, Anshin Oyado in Tokyo became the first capsule hotel to accept Bitcoin payments, a first in the Japanese hotel industry, according to Coincheck.

There are currently 5 Anshin Oyado capsule hotels in the Tokyo area.

The operators of Comicap and Anshin Oyado also have other businesses that have not yet started accepting Bitcoin payments, Kawabata said:

They decided to use Coincheck's payment service in the capsule hotel as a trial. They may expand Bitcoin payments to other services.