Alien spacecraft looks even better when lit up at night. 

With hotel prices skyrocketing around Japan, we’re always on the lookout for bargain stays, and our latest find comes with something rather extraordinary — a view of a UFO.

Located in Makuharihongo, Chiba Prefecture, less than an hour out from Tokyo Station and Narita Airport, this hotel is just a 10-minute train ride from Makuhari Messe, the large convention centre where events like Tokyo Auto Salon and Tokyo Game Show are held.

▼ Called Famy Inn, this business hotel comes with a public bath and sauna, and operates a free shuttle bus to Kaihin Makuhari Station and Makuhari Messe.

When our reporter Masanuki Sunakoma arrived to spend the night there, he opted to walk from the station as it was only a 7-8 minute journey from Makuhari Hongo Station.

As he walked through the streets though, he found himself in a love hotel district, which made him wonder if the great deal he got on the Famy Inn was because it was actually a love hotel.

▼ At 8,100 yen (US$52.88) a night, with a 1,000-yen discount voucher from travel provider Rakuten Travel, Famy Inn is a very cheap place to stay.

When he arrived at the lobby, however, he found his fears were unwarranted, as the only reference to love here was the image of Aphrodite on the foyer wall.

Upon entering his room, it was clear that this was a legit business hotel, with simple rooms that include a clean bed, a private bathroom, a desk, and a TV. It may not have been the pinnacle of luxury, but hey, for 8,100 yen a night, with a public bath and sauna thrown in, this was a great deal.

▼ The bath and sauna are open from 5 p.m. to midnight.

With an expressway nearby, the hotel provides earplugs in every room for those who might be sensitive to noise.

Pulling back the curtain to see where the expressway was, Masanuki stepped back in shock at the sight that lay before him.

▼ There was a super huge UFO right in front of his eyes.

Sitting there as if it had just landed, the UFO seemed to be hiding in plain sight amongst the lights of the city. Blinking in surprise, Masanuki realised he wasn’t dreaming and quickly ran to grab his camera, before proceeding to take about 50 photos of the unusual sight.

There was no mention of a “UFO view” when he’d booked the hotel room so he quickly headed downstairs to find out what it was all about.

As he approached the structure, he discovered that this was actually a love hotel called “Hotel UFO”.

▼ For love that’s truly out of this world.

Up close, it was even bigger than Masanuki had imagined. He says it was a masterpiece, and after doing some research on it, he found that the facility had just recently been completely renewed before opening in July 2024.

Heading back to his room, Masanuki left the curtains open awhile so he could admire the view.

Before hopping into bed, with thoughts of aliens outside the “Save Our Planet!”message card immediately jumped out at him as a warning of some sort. Upon closer inspection, though, he found this wasn’t a threat to humanity from an alien invasion, instead it was a call to conserve resources during hotel stays.

As he snuggled up in bed, Masanuki drifted off to a peaceful slumber, feeling strangely comforted by the UFO outside his window.

In the morning, Masanuki felt like a child on Christmas morning as he pulled back the curtains to see what was there.

▼ To his joy, the UFO was still there.

Pulling on his clothes, Masanuki scampered outside to get a daytime view of the UFO, and it looked just as massive and awe-inspiring as it did the night before.

Returning to the hotel to hop on the shuttle bus to Kaihin Makuhari Station, he had a skip in his step that made him feel like he was going to have a great day.

For a UFO lover like Masanuki, who once saw an unidentified flying object when he was younger and even visited Japan’s UFO village to indulge his curiosity, this was a remarkable find. It just goes to show that no matter how many years you live here, there’s always something new to discover in Japan!

Hotel information

Famy Inn Makuhari / ファミーINN幕張
Address: Chiba-ken, Chiba-shi, Hanamigawa-ku, Makuharihongo1-33-3
千葉県千葉市花見川区幕張本郷1-33-3
Website

Related: Rakuten Travel
Images © SoraNews24
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