Japanese Company Creates 'Nap Box' For Employees To Sleep Upright When They're Tired
Wanna sleep at work and not be judged for it? This may be your perfect solution.
By Wayne Garreth — 10 Aug 2022, 02:45 PM
Have you ever felt absolutely exhausted at work, nothing a good nap couldn't fix?
All your troubles will soon fade away!
Tokyo-based furniture specialist, Itoki Corp., and a plywood supplier company from Hokkaido, Koyoiu Gohan KK, have just signed a partnership to create Japan's first 'nap box'.
Designed in an upright position, the purported outline of the box is to ensure comfort for the head, knees, and provide body-support
Also known as the 'Kamin' box, employees will be expected to sleep upright should they need to use the pod.
As commented on by the companies in an article with Bloomberg, "The nap box user will sleep in the pod like a flamingo, standing upright. The initial design has been made to ensure that the head, knees and rear are all comfortably supported so that the person will not fall over."
Continuing on, the companies noted that, "With research pointing to restorative rest increasing productivity, this new development may nudge employees in Japan to take short power naps throughout the day."
Such a creation is meant to encourage a healthier working environment in offices, and therefore encourage efficiency among employees
While a recent 2022 study displayed Kuala Lumpur as the third most overworked city in the world, overlong office hours is still a persistent issue for employees in Japan. Coming up with a term, these people are commonly referred to as inemuri, otherwise known as employees who sleep during the day to make it through a full shift or long commute.
Commenting on this issue in relation to their product, Saeko Kawashima, Communications Director at Itoki, stated, "In Japan, there are a lot of people who will lock themselves up in the bathroom for a while, which I don't think is healthy. It's better to sleep in a comfortable location."
Speaking on his hope for the design of the Kamin box, Kawashima continued on saying, "I think a lot of Japanese people tend to work continuously with no breaks. We are hoping that companies can use this as a more flexible approach to resting."
As the pods are still in the design process, release dates and price points have yet to be decided.
Watch a promotional video of the Kamin box below:
