Photo: Pakutaso (edited by SoraNews24)
lifestyle

New Japanese office furniture, lockers to stand and sleep in, baffles, depresses netizens

20 Comments
By Casey Baseel, SoraNews24

At my first job in Japan, one day I showed up at the office only to find one of my coworkers sleeping on the floor in the back room. “Oh, yeah, she’s tired, so just let her be,” my manager said, and I couldn’t decide if she was being an extremely kind boss by letting an employee take a nap during work hours, or a mercilessly cruel one by not letting her just go home and get some sleep without having to do it on the floor.

If only we’d had this innovative new piece of Japanese office furniture.

That’s the latest creation from Tokyo-based office furniture supplier Itoki. Developed in cooperation with Hokkaido woodworking company Koyoju Plywood Corporation. Hey call it the Kamin Box, or “Nap Box.” Though it looks like a stylish storage locker, it’s actually designed to hold people. Sleepy people, precisely. Open the door and step inside, and you’ll find a small ledge to support your butt, plus another one that looks to be either chin or forehead-height, depending on how tall you are, on the inside of the door. The idea is that these contours will hold your body in place so that you can sleep standing up.

According to Asahi Shimbun, the Kamin Box is born out of recently raised awareness of the importance of sleep and rest, and is designed to provide a space where people can take a break without feeling self-conscious, even within an office without a lot of space. It’s unclear whether or not the designers considered whether users would feel self-conscious stepping into a standing sleeping pod in the first place, or whether “Sure, go ahead and take a nap standing up!” is actually represents a gain in terms of worker health, or if it’s a gross underestimation of what constitutes adequate sleep deprivation countermeasures. Online commenters in Japan, though, are less than convinced that the Kamin Box is the solution to the country’s issues with overwork.

“If someone needs this, just let them go home already.”

“Call it a nap all you want, but if you’re standing up the whole time, I don’t think you’re going to feel rested mentally.”

“So you’re allowed to sleep, but not to lie down?”

“Well, at least it’s an admission that sometimes people need to rest instead of pushing themselves to keep working, so I’m happy about that.”

“It looks like something a power-harassing boss would tell you to go stand in.”

“I can imagine someone who’s dangerously overworked using this while pulling an all-nighter, then dying inside.”

“So dystopian!”

Sources: Asahi Shimbun Digital via Livedoor NewsYouTube/HBCニュース 北海道放送Twitter

Read more stories from SoraNews24.

-- Pretty pink coffins to sleep in now on sale in Japan, made by local Tokyo craftsmen【Photos】

-- Survey shows that many Japanese business people’s sleep patterns have changed since teleworking

-- Lazy stay-home innovation from Japan: the addictive cloud nap mat

© SoraNews24

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

20 Comments
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How about hammocks in the store room?

But hammocks are comfortable. Can't have that in any workplace here.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Aly

Are you sure about about all those ramblings about common sense? Seems like you are commonly disagreed with.

1 ( +7 / -6 )

How about hammocks in the store room?

That's a good idea, but the problem is that prolonged lying down in one can sometimes lead to back pain, because the spine is not straight

My answer would be to check out the google workplaces. They have some good ideas like

decompression (stress) capsules among other things

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Instead of spending all this money on a tampon applicator looking kind of thing, why not just set aside a dark cool room where employees can take a nap?

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Stupid idea. Turn them 90° and let people actually sleep.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

If it falls or rolls over on the door area, how will they get out?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Sleep deprivation is no joke here. I wonder what sort of company regulations there will be when using this pod? Can only use during lunch break? Or when others are on their tabaco break 15 times a day for 10 minutes each, are non-smokers allowed to use this pod for the same amount of time? Curious...

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Foreign staff can’t use them, COVID reasons, lol.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

everyone at our office sleeps at their desks

-4 ( +6 / -10 )

And when an earthquake happens and the door jams they will become real coffins.

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

I sleep standing up every day as it is , but nobody notices. But with this, everyone'l know. So, I' think I'll stick to the traditional method. Feeling sleepy already. But seriously, this is one of the reasons I absolutely love Japan.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

Well, those standing sleeping coffins are really insane and mind sick, but still quite a progress compared to be a chained and whipped galley slave in more ancient times.

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

Too logical? For Japan, yes.

Mate, if you want to live here you have to come to the realization that Japan doesn't do common sense or logic. If you resign yourself to that fact, you will find yourself able to cope, albeit with the occasional headshake.

Otherwise, you'll drive yourself crazy. Logic & Common Sense- NASHI

-8 ( +13 / -21 )

Aly

Are you sure about about all those ramblings about common sense?

Yes. I am

Seems like you are commonly disagreed with.

EVERYONE here is commonly disagreed with.

Its JT

-8 ( +5 / -13 )

Wow. Just...wow. Not only are J-companies overworking their employees but now they want to force them to sleep standing up in the office in what looks like a vertical coffin or clam. That's going to be comfortable...not. Instead of coming up with and funneling money into whacko gadgets like this, why not improve working conditions and increase wages? Too logical? For Japan, yes.

-10 ( +9 / -19 )

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