Tokyo nights

Spread over seven storeys, Bunka Hostel offers 128 beds that are bigger than the cramped sleeping pods typical of Japanese capsule hotels.

Created by property developers UDS Group in collaboration with Space Design and Japanese artist Hiroko Takahashi, the space uses light wood and muted tones of grey and white to create a sense of calm. ‘It’s quite rare to have an artist do a hostel and it enables us to have a design sensibility few other venues can offer,’ Masako Ueda, PR spokesperson for UDS Group, told The Japan Times.

As hostels continue to use design as a selling point, themes of play and youth are being replaced with more sophisticated aesthetics. Bunka Hostel’s subtle use of colour is one way to attract budget travellers looking for cheap but cheerful lodgings.