A Solution to Japan’s Overwork: Sleep In An Upright “Nap Box” In Office

The Japanese Corp Itoki and Koyoju Gohan KK partner to release a vertical “Nap Box” to help bring a healthier office culture to the country.
This partnership was born from a business matching event where Itoki based in Tokyo, a furniture specialist, was in contact with the supplier of Koyoju Gohan plywood from Hokkaido. Both of them signed a license agreement on Thursday and Koyoju Gohan is now in the design process for the NAP box. Prices and availability have not been decided.

Office hours that are too long are a problem among employees in Japan and the country even has a term for people who sleep during the day to get through full shifts or long trips: Inemuri.

“In Japan, there are many people who will lock themselves in the bathroom for a while, which in my opinion is not healthy. It’s better to sleep in a comfortable location,” said Saeko Kawashima, Director of Communication at Itoki.

Nap box users will sleep on the pod like Flamingo, standing tall. The initial design has been made to ensure that the head, knees, and back are all supported comfortably so that the person will not fall. With research that refers to restorative rest increases productivity, this new development can encourage employees in Japan to take short naps throughout the day.

“I think many Japanese people tend to work continuously without rest,” said Kawashima. “We hope the company can use this as a more flexible approach to rest.”