A Japanese furniture company has designed a bizarre ‘standing nap box’ for office workers to catch some sleep during long work days.
The box is designed to support the worker's head, knees and back, stopping them from falling over.
Tokyo-based office furniture company Itoki designed the box in collaboration with plywood supplier Koyoju Gohan KK with the goal of offering a healthier solution for those wanting to take a quick nap during the day.
“In Japan, there are a lot of people who will lock themselves up in the bathroom for a while [to nap], which I don’t think is healthy. It’s better to sleep in a comfortable location," Saeko Kawashima, communications director of furniture maker Itoki, told Bloomberg News.
Extremely long working hours is a major concern among Japanese office workers, and the country even has a term for people sleeping during the day to make it through a full shift or a long commute - inemuri.
Designers hope that the ‘nap box’ will help promote a healthier office culture in Japan.
"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,” Kawashima said.