Japanese companies set to introduce office ‘nap boxes’, netizens not impressed

Tokyo-based furniture company Itoki and plywood firm Koyoju Gohan will collaborate to make the pod-like structures to aid sleep-deprived workers.

According to a Bloomberg report, the “nap box” will be designed in such a way that a person’s “head, knees and rear are all comfortably supported so that the person will not fall over”.

These “nap boxes” are getting popular in Japan because so many workers nap in the bathroom. Could you take a nap standing up??? #MWP @SeattleWolf pic.twitter.com/1V4tnxmbkJ

— Matt McAllister (@MorningWolfMatt) July 18, 2022

While talking about their product, Saeko Kawashima, the communications director at Itoki, told Bloomberg, “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”.

While the price and market availability of the “nap box” is not out, its design pictures have been released online.

This is deeply dystopian, aside from being violently claustrophobic I don’t know anyone who could handle doing this normally https://t.co/X00gZjmVZ8 pic.twitter.com/piPlftZgp9

— Daryl Bartley (Looking for work!) (@hypercubexl) July 15, 2022

Healthy working culture: “Let’s not look at the crazy working hours and overly-hierarchical management structures! Let’s just sleep in a upright coffin like Dracula!”

— Barley Blair (@BlairBarley) July 15, 2022

That’s a hard no. Imagine having a fire at the office and your taking a nap inside that pod. Nope!

— Marisa Campos (@Asiramisa) July 15, 2022

That’s brutal. They couldn’t even stretch the budget to install more comfier, lounge bed-esque sleeping rooms that some companies in the west have for napping.

— Scones40 (@Scones40) July 16, 2022

Exhaustion coffin

— S. Allen Verwey (@IHateVerwey) July 15, 2022

Yeah ok pic.twitter.com/d2p7hx5xH9

— newhorizon 🦇🔊 (@woollymasters) July 15, 2022

Just let them go home

— Ena Jay (@EnaJay1) July 19, 2022

pic.twitter.com/Txw9hYdO6F

— I am not the droid you are looking for (AlanMK) (@GardeningAtNigh) July 15, 2022

Japanese companies will literally build sleep coffins before letting you work less than 60 hours a week. https://t.co/OIvapVOwNo

— Juan Delgado (@BurritoHunting) July 19, 2022

Many netizens pointed out that the product looks like an “exhaustion coffin” and called the idea “dystopian”.

Tweeting about the product a person wrote, “Japanese companies will literally build sleep coffins before letting you work less than 60 hours a week.”

Another person remarked, “Healthy working culture: ‘Let’s not look at the crazy working hours and overly-hierarchical management structures! Let’s just sleep in a upright coffin like Dracula!’”.