Real-Life ‘Big Brother’? You Can Stay at This Japan Hotel for Just $1, But There’s a HUGE Caveat

The Land of the Rising Sun is one of the most developed countries in Asia, which is why things do not come cheap in Japan. Apart from being regarded as one of the most technologically advanced community, it has also a unique and magnificent culture. So the number of tourists from all around the globe flocking the famous spots is quite normal for the residents.

The Land of the Rising Sun is famous for its rich culture and breathtaking spots

Needless to say, you need to bring a lot of money whenever you’re on a trip to Japan. But who says you can’t stay in this country when you’re tight on the budget? That is, you don’t have to stay at a posh hotel to explore the scenic places. After all, there’s an affordable one you can rent for almost $1 (100 yen).

Typical Room with a Twist

However, with that price, you can expect that something is wrong. This neat deal is from Fukuoka’s Business Ryokan Asahi, aptly called the One Dollar Hotel. The room is pretty ordinary – it’s a typical Japanese nook with a mat, that is usually found in most houses in the Asian country, on the floor, a tiny table, kettle, TV, and a portable sleeping mat. Nothing out of the normal, it seems.

The room looks like a typical Japanese nook

Here’s the catch: among the other appliance in the room is a tablet that records your every action, glued in the middle of the room to catch every inch of space of the nook. In short, you are being watched for 24 hours.

That caveat is even made worse by the fact that the stream is aired on the hotel’s YouTube channel, and all these are disclosed before you check in – this means that you are made aware and it’s up to you to give consent to the filming.

Policies

So if you’re not fine with people looking at you while you drool and talk as you doze off, then this place is definitely for you. One relief, if you can call it that, is that the video is recorded without sound, so your conversations and everything you say remain a secret. Another one, you can turn off the lights.

One of the policies in staying at the cheap hotel is that nudity and indecent actions are not allowed. If you’re wondering where the bathroom is, there’s not one in the room. Instead, there’s a common one where you can change clothes. The management also doesn’t permit the guests to show personal information with the viewers, such as address and full name.

Exciting Experience

While this might be a nightmare for people who give utmost importance for privacy and those who have anxiety, some people do actually find the experience unique and exciting. Others interact with the audience by talking to them through a whiteboard and they get responses through the comments in the livestream.

Other guests enjoy their stay

According to reports, the management decided to offer this arrangement because the specific room wasn’t booked always and they wanted to create a buzz around the hotel. Because of the unconventionality of the selling point, a lot of sites don’t want to list the place.